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In Olympic year, Manu Bhaker’s big target is mental focus
In an Olympic year, Bhaker is looking to remain steady and not let negative thoughts hover over her.
Every time Manu Bhaker stands on the firing lane she expects a medal. At times the teenager breaks down, burdened by the weight of her own expectations.
In an Olympic year, Bhaker is looking to remain steady and not let negative thoughts hover over her.
She will be among India’s strong medal contenders at the Tokyo Games and is expected to compete in three pistol events—25m, 10m and mixed team. She secured an Olympic quota for India in the women’s 10m air pistol event in Munich last year.
That took a huge burden off her young shoulders and she finished the year on a high, winning the 10m air pistol gold in the World Cup Final in Putian, China and in the Asian Shooting Championships.
Staying positive
She will get to test her Olympic preparations at the World Cup in New Delhi next month. Bhaker says her focus will be on mental stability.
“I am very positive before every event. I am very excited about Olympics and I know it is big. I want to calm myself down mentally before facing the lane and people (competitors). I need to be mentally strong,” she says.
Meditation has helped. “When you do meditation, you focus on your mind; try to relax and calm it down so that your thought process is under control. I will focus on my mental stability, technique during the World Cup.”
Mind off Tokyo
She is also trying to take her mind off Tokyo. “I keep every thought away from me, just stay focused and not think (about Olympics). I listen to music continuously, I dance, write diaries, read novels, and all this help me to divert my mind and focus more on other things,” says the 18-year-old.
Bhaker wants the Tokyo Games to be a voyage of discovery. “I want it to be fresh; don’t want anybody to give me any information. I want to experience it myself,” she says.
The teenager has already seen the vagaries of the sport. If she was the star of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning gold as a 16-year-old, she came down to earth at the Asian Games four months later when a medal eluded her.
“I think so I have been able to control (emotions). I am working really hard. The thing is an opportunity to win a medal slips out just like that due to some minor mistakes. The more you are experienced it leads to a better mental state. I have learnt a lot of things, like when I am not performing well how to deal with it, how to be happy even after not delivering the goods. It’s been a wonderful journey.”
Team as important
Bhaker got her confidence back last year, winning an Olympic quota place and sweeping up all five World Cup gold medals in the mixed pistol event, partnering Saurabh Chaudhary or Abhishek Verma.
“The team event is as important as individual competition. Even if I’m playing with Saurabh or Abhishek, we don’t talk , don’t share thoughts; we rather focus on our individual game,” she says.
“If people expect me to win it is because they support and love me, they connect with me and I take it positively. I know if someone loves you, I can at least win something—hearts,” she gushes.
