NEW DELHI: For Manu Bhaker, leading the Indian contingent at the Asian Games opening ceremony is more than an honour. It is also a reminder of the coach who once set strict conditions for when she could attend such occasions.The 24-year-old double Olympic medallist has been named one of India’s two flag bearers for Saturday’s opening ceremony in Japan. As she prepares to carry the Tricolour, Bhaker recalled her late coach Jaspal Rana and the rule he had imposed on her during her shooting career.“When I came to know of this (being chosen as one of the flagbearers), I had flashbacks of my earlier days. When I started, I never thought I would reach this far one day. It’s definitely feeling proud and honoured,” Bhaker said.“I was just 16 years old when I competed in the Asian Games in 2018. This is my third Asian Games. I was in Palembang (Indonesia) in 2018 and so could not attend the ceremony.”
‘Either a flagbearer or I watch the ceremony on television’
Bhaker said Rana, who was her coach, would allow her to attend opening ceremonies of multi-sport events only if she was a flag bearer. Shooters often face a tight turnaround, with their competitions beginning soon after the ceremony.“The first time I attended the opening ceremony was in the Commonwealth Games and I was like if I am the flagbearer I will attend because my (then) coach Jaspal (Rana) sir said he will allow me attend the ceremony if I am the flagbearer, otherwise not. Since our matches usually start just a day after the opening ceremony, it becomes hectic for us,” she said.“So in opening ceremonies, I am either a flagbearer or I watch the ceremony on television.”ALSO READ: ‘We should not waste our energy’: Manu Bhaker urges Indian athletes to look beyond Asian Games chaosBhaker’s rise since her teenage years has made Saturday’s occasion particularly significant. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, she became the first athlete from Independent India to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympic Games, claiming bronze in the individual and mixed team 10m air pistol events.Earlier on Saturday, seasoned kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat replaced shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as the other Indian flag bearer. Toor will miss the ceremony because he does not have the ceremonial kit in his luggage.