Missed Jaspal sir a lot: Manu Bhaker emotional after Asian Games opening ceremony

Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was overcome with emotion after carrying the Indian flag at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya on Saturday, saying she missed her late coach Jaspal Rana on a day that meant so much to her.

"Missed Jaspal sir a lot today. It was indeed an emotional day without his presence by my side," Bhaker said after the ceremony.

Rana, a former champion shooter who later became a highly influential coach, died on June 11 at the age of 49. He played a major role in Bhaker's career and guided her to two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

For Bhaker, Saturday's ceremony was special not just because she was chosen as one of India's flag-bearers, but also because it brought back memories of the advice Rana had given her during the early years of her career.

Rana had been particularly strict about Bhaker attending opening ceremonies at multi-sport events. With her competitions often beginning soon after the ceremony, he had told her that she could attend only if she was the flag-bearer. Otherwise, she was better off watching it on television and conserving her energy for competition.

Bhaker had previously recalled how that advice shaped her approach to such occasions.

She missed the opening ceremony at her first Asian Games in 2018, when she was based in Palembang while the main athletes' village was in Jakarta. She later attended the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony that year, but Rana's emphasis on putting competition first remained with her.

Five years later, Bhaker found herself in a very different position.

Standing at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium with the Indian flag in her hands, the 24-year-old shooter became one of the faces of India's contingent at the opening ceremony. It was a moment Rana had once told her she should experience only if she had earned the right to lead the contingent.

For Bhaker, that made his absence even more difficult to process.

She will now shift her focus back to competition as she prepares for her third Asian Games. Bhaker is scheduled to compete in the women's 10m air pistol, women's 25m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events.

The Indian shooter remains the only athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympic Games. At Nagoya-Aichi, she will look to add another chapter to a career that Rana helped shape so profoundly.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Sep 19, 2026 19:18 IST