It’s all in the mind for Manu Bhaker

NEW DELHI: In an Olympic year, most medal hopefuls are under a lot of pressure to deliver the goods at the biggest stage of them all. For an 18-year-old, it can get even tougher. India’s Manu Bhaker knows this and is focussing a lot on the mental aspect of things to keep her emotions in check. Meditation is one thing that the shooter from Jhajjar is trying to inculcate in her daily routine. She is also trying to avoid any talk of the Olympics to keep herself fresh as well as to ensure that her mind does not wander.

“Mental stability is very important in our sport. So I’m doing a lot of meditation so that I can keep myself calm under pressure and keep my thoughts in check. I’m trying hard to avoid any sort of distractions and in a bid to keep my mind free of them, I keep listening to music, dancing, writing in my diary or even reading a novel,” she said. Even in such a short career, Manu has tasted disappointment with her Asian Games showing in 2018 as well as her below-par performance last year at the World Cup in New Delhi where she was pictured leaving the range in tears. But the Commonwealth Games gold medallist insists she has learnt from those mistakes and they have made her a stronger character.

“The experiences that I have gained over the last couple of years have helped me improve my game. I have learnt how to keep myself calm and composed when things are not going my way or the result is not as per my expectation. I’ve learnt to be positive and keep myself motivated even after failing to deliver. I’ve learnt to control my emotions better and I am looking forward to future challenges. ”When asked if she has any plans to have a chat with former Olympians or Olympic medallists in a bid to get ready for the sporting extravaganza, the 10m air pistol exponent said, “I do have the scope of speaking to former winners but currently there are no such plans.

I will speak to my coach and prepare accordingly. I’m very excited about the Olympics but I also want to keep myself fresh for it and I do not want too much information about the event.” With the first World Cup of the year set to be held here, Manu wants to start the year with a bang so that she remains in a confident frame of mind leading to Tokyo. “It will be a competitive tournament and I’m looking forward to doing well in the World Cup and win a medal for my country. It will be a good morale booster ahead of the Olympics,” she signed off.