Manu Bhaker returns to winning ways, guns down World Cup medal after two years

Relief was writ large on Manu Bhaker’s face after she claimed a bronze ISSF World Cup medal to add to her silver from 2021.

Doreen Vennekamp from Germany (C) won the gold medal with Du Ziyue from China (L) Silver and and Manu Bhaker from India (R) Bronze in the women’s 25m pistol, during ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol at Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy. | Photo Credit: AM FARUQUI

Two years is quite a long time. For Manu Bhaker, the duration would have seemed longer.

When the 21-year-old shooter waved at the crowd after the 25m sports pistol event during the ongoing ISSF World Cup, relief was writ large on her face. Finally, she had her hands on a World Cup medal again. The last one, a silver, had come in Osijek on June 26, 2021. This time, the colour is bronze, but Bhaker is satisfied.

“ Kehte hai na ki s abr ka fal meetha hota hai (They say good things happen to those who are patient). I never stopped practising although there were ups and downs and the times were rough. I had waited for this. Hope this is a sign of better things to come. Shouldn’t be a one-off thing,” Bhaker said moments ahead of the victory ceremony.

Bhaker had been firing blanks for a while now, most recently during the 10m air pistol qualification round at the same competition, when she shot 568-19x to finish 16 ^th. In the third series, she shot four 8s and three 9s to manage a mere 89.

Saturday’s story ran a different course. Bhaker, having finished third in qualification with a total of 584 (290 in precision stage and 294 in rapid), accumulated 14 points in the first ranking match. She was, in fact, tied on points with eventual gold medallist Doreen Vennekamp of Germany.

After 15 shots, Bhaker was yet to make the double digits, stuck on a sorry 9. China’s Xiong Yaxuan, placed immediately above her, was on 10 points.

In the next set of competition shots, Bhaker, an eight-time World Cup gold medallist, showed what she is made of as she pocketed all of the five points on offer. Not only did she surpass Yaxuan, but she had also established a two-point gap in between.

Off her last series, Bhaker registered four, but Du Ziyue, the other Chinese shooter in fray, was up to the task. Vennekamp, who has been a crowd favourite at the MP State Shooting Academy, was in a league of her own, missing only 10 of a total of 40 to clinch gold.

Esha Singh (25m sports pistol) and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (50m rifle 3 positions) were the other Indians who made the rankings rounds on day four of competitions here, but unfortunately couldn’t get onto the podium.

RESULTS:

50m rifle 3 positions men: 1. Du Linshu (CHN); 2. Istvan Peni (HUN); 3. Jan Lochbihler (SUI).

25m sports pistol women: 1. Doreen Vennekamp (GER); 2. Du Ziyue (CHN); 3. Manu Bhaker (IND).

MEDALS TALLY:

1. China: 6 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze; 2. India: 1-1-4; 3. Germany: 1-1-0.