We were at the peak, would have been nice to compete at the Olympics right now: Manu Bhaker

Teenage sensation Manu Bhaker at a young age has won many laurels. She has already clinched the Youth Olympics gold in 2018 and become India No.1 in women's 10m Air Pistol. She has also won Commonwealth Games gold and is also the youngest Indian to win golds at the shooting World Cup.

Bhaker in an interview to Indiatoday.in spoke on varied issues from her routine and hobbies amid the lockdown to her preparations for the Olympics.

On her training amid the lockdown:

Manu: I am trying to practice daily because I have a range inside the house itself and I try to take complete of the facility. But there are some issues some days. Like I have a manual machine and it breaks every other day. Also, there are a lot of monkeys here and because the range is open from the backside, they also hamper my practice.

Her routine these days:

Manu: I study between 6 am-8 am in the morning and then I get ready. I watch Ramayan from 9 am and also have my breakfast at that time. On an average I train for over 4 hours and in evening I do some physical exercises at the terrace. So, I try to do all the exercises for building strength. Also, I have my college classes online.

Her hobbies:

Manu: Sometimes I do some sketching and drawing. Or, just watch something on YouTube about things that could be done at home, like I painted my old shoes few days back. So just some interesting things. Now I am thinking of doing some paintings on the walls. But I am not able to take out much free time because I have to manage both studies and shooting practice.

One positive outcome of the current situation:

Manu: I think the whole situation has helped to limit air pollution, which has been the best part. Also, the animals are feeling free now. People are also getting to spend time with their families. So you know, it is like the old culture. Also, because of the crisis, people are learning to live in limited resources.

Has the suspension and cancellation of events had any impact on your mental health?

Manu I was expecting some tournaments to be affected by suddenly everything has been impacted by the pandemic, everything is getting canceled. I feel both positive and disappointed at the same time. We were at the peak of our performance recently and would have been nice to compete at the Olympics right now. But then, health is more important than anything. But when we practice with the team, there is always that competitive spirit, because we can see people doing better than us. So that's lacking.

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