Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker is taking a well-deserved three-month break from shooting to recover from a bruised hand. However, this break won’t be a typical vacation. Instead, she plans to immerse herself in her favourite hobbies.
Manu Bhaker’s time off before the new season
The 22-year-old, who recently won bronze medals in the 10m air pistol and the 10m air pistol mixed team event (alongside Sarabjot Singh), visited the PTI headquarters on Friday. Accompanied by her coach, the renowned shooter Jaspal Rana, Bhaker engaged in a candid discussion with the editors.
Proudly displaying her medals, the energetic young athlete from Jhajjar, Haryana, shared her plans for Paris, reflecting on how the disappointment of Tokyo now feels like a distant memory. She also spoke about indulging in everything she had put on hold for her Olympic aspirations.
“Now that I have some time off, I can probably get back into martial arts,” said Bhaker, who was once a karate enthusiast before switching to shooting.
“I hadn’t had the time to invest in it, but now I can pursue my many hobbies—horse riding, which I love, skating, which I still enjoy on the roads, and fitness, which I really enjoy. I’m also learning Bharatnatyam, but training in France left me with little time to keep up with my classes,” she explained, noting that her Bharatnatyam instructor is from Tamil Nadu. “And then there’s the violin,” she added.
STORY | Horse riding, bharatnatyam and skating on Manu's mind during break from shooting
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Despite her hand injury, Bhaker remains active, and committed to her routines, including early morning wake-up calls and yoga. Her bronze medals in the 10m air pistol and the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics remarks her dedication.
As she embarks on this hiatus, she carries her passion for sports, arts, and music, weaving them into her journey beyond the shooting range.
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