The father of double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, Ram Kishan, has opened up about the profound impact legendary shooter and coach Jaspal Rana had on his daughter's career. Rana, 49, passed away on Thursday due to cardiac complications, leaving the Indian sporting fraternity in mourning.
Discipline and Self-Belief
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, Kishan 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."
From Differences to Paris Glory
Kishan also shed light on the differences between Rana and Manu ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 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."
