‘Missed Jaspal sir a lot’: Manu Bhaker remembers late coach at Asian Games opening

Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker on Saturday said she missed her late coach Jaspal Rana during the Asian Games opening ceremony, making an already special occasion an emotional one as she carried the Indian flag alongside kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat.

"Missed Jaspal sir a lot today, he was a flagbearer at the Asian Games. It was indeed an emotional day without his presence by my side," Bhaker said after the ceremony here.

Rana, a celebrated shooter and coach, died on June 12 at the age of 49. He played a key role in Bhaker's career and guided her to two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 24-year-old shooter had earlier recalled how Rana's influence had shaped her approach to opening ceremonies at multi-sport events. The legendary shooter-turned-coach had told once Bhaker that she could attend such ceremonies only if she was the flag-bearer, otherwise she should watch them on television, considering her competitions usually began soon after the opening ceremony.

Bhaker, who is competing in her third Asian Games, missed the opening ceremony at her first Games in 2018 as she was based in Palembang, away from the main athletes' village in Jakarta.

She later attended the 2018 Commonwealth Games ceremony and recalled Rana's advice to prioritise her competition.

That advice made Saturday's occasion particularly poignant as Bhaker herself walked out as one of India's flag-bearers at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

Bhaker, who is the only athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympics, will now turn her attention to the shooting competition, where she is scheduled to compete in the women's 10m air pistol, women's 25m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)