I have no doubt Manu Bhaker will return from Tokyo with a gold too, says father

Indias Manu Bhaker and Om Prakash Mitharval with the air pistol mixed team gold medal they won at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara Mexico on MondayHaryanas teen shooting sensation Manu Bhaker 16 is unique She plays with soft toys but easily beats her father Ramkishen in arm wrestling She watches cartoons like Chhota Bheem and Tom amp Jerry but does not like movies or any film hero She loves chocolates but has no particular food preference and eats whatever her mother Sumedha makes at home And most importantly she has never been inspired by an Indian sportsperson or featMultitalented athleteAs a child she grew up playing and winning medals in different sports like cricket tennis kabaddi and karate So when she decided to switch to shooting in 2016 I was surprised but never once doubted her ability her father Ramkishen told midday over the phone from their village Goria in Haryanas Jhajjar district On Monday Manu achieved a unique feat too A day after winning gold in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara Mexico she clinched her second consecutive gold mdash in the mixed team event partnering Om Prakash Mitharval The Indians won gold with a score of 4761 09 points ahead of German couple Sandra and Christian Reitz 4752 And to think Manu only picked up a gun at 14Pistol shooter Manu Bhaker left with her father Ramkishen mum Sumedha and brother Akhil at their home in HaryanaSchool coaches impressedManus school Universal Senior Secondary has had a shooting range for the last six years but she suddenly decided to join shooting two years ago Her school coaches told me that she was a natural at it and she proved them right by winning medals in almost all competitions thereafter added RamkishenManu won over half a dozen gold medals at the 2017 Nationals and shattered junior national marks at the Khelo India Games thereafter which saw her break into the squad for next months Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia Its no wonder then that while leaving home for Mexico she promised her father that she would return with a medal despite it being her debut at a senior World CupA younger Manu Bhaker fourth from left during a shooting event at her Universal Senior Secondary school in HaryanaVillage celebrates gold medalOur village is small everyone knows everyone and all were pretty sure that Manu would win a medal in Mexico They had a prompt celebration in the village on Saturday night to celebrate her first gold medal Even Manus school teachers and friends were confident that she would return with a medal so who was I to doubt it said Ramkishen a marine engineer who has had to cut his travel assignments to spend more time with his teen children Manu and son Akhil 17 particularly Manu who he accompanies for eventsInterestingly Manus mother hails from the same village Balali from where Indias wrestling champions Geeta and Babita Phogat emerged But Manu was never in awe of their achievements Our family and neigbours always discussed Babita and Geetas feats whenever they did well but Manu was never concerned She has never needed any inspiration to succeed said RamkishenHe is now hoping his bitiya rani little princess can go on to achieve her ultimate dream Manu has huge respect for the India flag and dreams of finishing on the topmost step of the podium at the 2020 Olympics With a billion prayers and loads of practice I have no doubt she will return from Tokyo with a gold tooCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates