Mumbai. Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra believes that more Indian shooters had the opportunity to convert their ‘performance into a medal’ at the Paris Games but overall it was a campaign that he should be proud of. India won a total of six medals, including three in shooting. During this, Manu Bhaker became the first player from the country to win two medals in the same season of the Olympics after independence. After winning the bronze medal in the women’s 10 meter air pistol, Manu also won the bronze medal in the 10 meter air pistol mixed shooting along with Sarabjot Singh. Another bronze for India was won by Swapnil Kusale in the 50 meter rifle three position event.
Bindra told ‘Jio Cinema’, “Some shooters missed but everyone gave a good fight.” He said, “Good results are important but more important than that is to see how much you have improved in terms of performance as a country. If you look at it this way, we have performed better than before. We would like to see some more performances turning into medals, but we have a lot to be proud of.” Beijing Olympics (2008) gold medalist Bindra praised Manu for ending the rift with coach Jaspal Rana and working together for success.
He said, “He (Rana) is a storehouse of knowledge, a coach who makes the players work hard and that is a good thing. I had coaches whom I disliked but I also liked them. I found a way to work with them.” He said, “I give credit to Manu that he made peace with Jaspal after a few years of difficult times. This is normal in a coach-athlete relationship. Athletes are sensitive people and when we are under pressure, sensitivity increases.”
While he praised Manu and Kusale, he also encouraged Arjun Babuta, who missed the bronze medal by a small margin. Babuta had finished fourth in the 10 meter air rifle event. He said, “I spoke to him before and after the competition, he was disappointed, but he is looking forward to the future. He will need some time to get over the pain of finishing fourth. But this is life, this is sports.”