‘Be the flag bearer or watch it on TV’: Manu Bhaker remembers Jaspal Rana ahead of Asian Games opening ceremony

File Pic: Manu Bhaker with Jaspal Rana NEW DELHI: For Manu Bhaker, leading the Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games is more than an honour. It’s also a reminder of a coach who once set strict conditions for herself when she can participate in such opportunities.The 24-year-old two-time Olympic medalist has been named as one of the two Indian flag bearers for the opening ceremony in Japan on Saturday. As Bhaker prepared to wear the tricolor, she remembered her late coach Jaspal Rana and the rule he imposed on her during her shooting career.“When I came to know about it (being selected as one of the flag bearers), I had flashbacks of my earlier days. When I started, I never thought that I would reach this far one day. It is definitely a feeling of pride and honour,” said Bhaker.“I was only 16 years old when I competed in the 2018 Asian Games. It’s my third Asian Games. I was in Palembang (Indonesia) in 2018, so I couldn’t attend the ceremony.”

“Either the flag bearer or I’m watching the ceremony on TV”

Bhaker said that Rana, who was her coach, would allow her to participate in the opening ceremonies of multi-sport events only if she was the flag bearer. Shooters often face a tight turnaround, with their competitions starting soon after the ceremony.“I attended the opening ceremony for the first time at the Commonwealth Games and I was the flag bearer to attend because my (then) coach Jaspal (Rana) sir said he would allow me to attend the ceremony if I was the flag bearer, otherwise not. As our matches usually start just a day after the opening ceremony, it is hectic for us,” she said.“So for the opening ceremony, I’m either the flag bearer or I’m watching the ceremony on TV.READ ALSO: ‘We shouldn’t waste energy’: Manu Bhaker urges Indian athletes to look beyond chaos at Asian GamesBhaker’s rise since her teenage years made Saturday’s event particularly significant. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single Olympic Games, winning bronze in the individual and mixed team 10m air pistol events.Earlier on Saturday, seasoned kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat replaced bowler Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India’s second flag bearer. Toor misses the ceremony because he doesn’t have the ceremony kit in his luggage.