NEW DELHI: Grief-stricken by the untimely demise of legendary shooter and coach Jaspal Rana, double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker‘s father Ram Kishan has revealed that the biggest contribution the former marksman made to his daughter’s career was instilling discipline, self-belief and a result-oriented mindset that ultimately helped shape her into a champion.Rana, 49, passed away on Thursday after battling cardiac complications, leaving the Indian sporting fraternity in mourning. The former pistol ace had played a pivotal role in guiding Manu to her historic double bronze-medal feat at the Paris Olympics.Speaking about the profound impact the decorated shooter had on his daughter, Ram Kishan described Rana as a strict taskmaster who always demanded the highest standards.“The biggest contribution Jaspal Rana made to Manu’s shooting career was instilling discipline, focus, hard work and a result-oriented approach. He was a good coach. His training imparted to Manu was excellent. It is a huge tragedy that he left the world like this,” Kishan told PTI.
‘Hard from outside, soft from inside’
Remembering Rana’s personality, Manu’s father said the coach constantly pushed his wards to improve and had complete faith in their abilities.“What he used to say to Manu was: work hard and have faith in yourself. Be confident in yourself. You have fighting spirit. You can do it. And you will do it,” he recalled.“He was a hard taskmaster but good at heart. Hard from outside and soft from inside. He was a legendary shooter and a result-oriented coach. He used to scold constantly and get angry like a little kid if you didn’t listen to him. But Manu preferred a strict and disciplined life,” he added.
From differences to Paris glory
He also shed light on the differences between Rana and Manu ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. According to Kishan, Rana wanted Manu to focus on only one event while she was keen to compete in both the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol categories.The disagreement affected the youngster mentally and even led her to question whether she should continue in the sport.However, the two reunited ahead of the Paris Olympics, with Rana backing Manu’s ambition to compete in both events.“Rana supported her and told her that she could do it. From that point on, Manu’s form improved,” Kishan said.Reflecting on the lessons his daughter learned from her coach, he added: “What Manu realised was that if there is discipline, everything is possible. If you understand these things, then everything else becomes easy.”
