‘Hurtting shooters’: Manu Bhaker’s coach criticizes Olympic selection policy

Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana has criticised the national federation’s “ever-changing” Olympic selection policy, saying it has hurt some of the most promising talents in the past and will hurt more youngsters if there is no consistency in the future. Rana, a pistol legend in his own right who won three Asian gold medals in the 2006 edition, hardly held back his words as he questioned the federation’s tendency to make last-minute changes in its policy and its stubborn refusal to acknowledge or facilitate the presence of personal coaches of shooters at national camps and trials. He made these observations while visiting PTI headquarters with Bhaker, who won bronze medals in 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team (alongside Sarabjot Singh), for an interaction with its editors on Friday.

“The selection policy of the (federation) changes every six months. I met the sports minister and told him: ‘Take the selection policy from the federation. Let them decide… whatever they decide, right or wrong, we are not going to discuss it, and then we stick to it’.

“You will see the difference (in shooters’ performance),” the decorated shooter said.

Several talented shooters such as Saurabh Chaudhary, the only one to reach the finals of the 10m air pistol at the Tokyo Games, and Asian Games gold medallist pistol shooter Jitu Rai disappeared from the scene within a few years despite being among the brightest prospects for Olympic glory. Rana said the system failed them and many more.

“Where is (pistol shooter) Saurabh Chaudhary, where is (Asian Games gold medallist pistol shooter) Jitu Rai? Is anyone talking about them? No. Are we talking about (10m air rifle shooter) Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in Paris? He missed out on the medal by a fraction,” the 48-year-old asked fieryly.

“Nobody is thinking about how to get him back on the podium,” said Rana, who was reportedly asked by the federation’s High Performance Director Pierre Beauchamp to leave the Karni Singh golf courses during the qualifying matches for the Paris Olympics.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has revised its selection criteria in 2021 after a second consecutive medal-less appearance at the Tokyo Olympics. The bonus points for quota winners were slashed and practice matches were reintroduced to determine the final selection after a significant gap.

Previously, the composition of the final selection depended on the judgement of the NRAI and quotas were swapped if the federation did not consider a shooter good enough.

The final names were determined based on the obscure assessment of the shooters’ performances by the NRAI itself in the run-up to the Games, which caused unrest, even among the best shooters.

But even at the introductory competitions there was no consistency and the NRAI was criticised for limiting the number of shooters who could secure an Olympic spot to just the top five, based on international and training performances.

This made it impossible to have a full field of eight shooters at the practice matches, which was widely ridiculed and criticized.

Rana said he is not against change, but he does want more consistency during an Olympic cycle.

He said there is currently no mechanism to protect Olympic and world medallists and regretted that Bhaker, despite winning two medals in Paris, will have to fight for a place in the national team when she returns from a three-month break.

“All the Olympic medalists, we don’t see them after one or two Olympics because there’s no system in place to protect them,” he noted. “The selection is made from Nationals. So if she doesn’t compete in Nationals, which she doesn’t, then next year she’s not going to get the facilities that other shooters get. Those who have competed in the Olympics and proven themselves, let them be there to compete in every trial,” the coach said.

“She walked with me”

Rana had to coach Bhaker from the spectator stands at the Paris Games because he did not have the necessary accreditation to enter the playing field. He was also housed outside the Games village, but the Dronacharya Award winner said none of this detracted from his enthusiasm to see Bhaker succeed.

“They (the federation’s restrictions) have made us stronger by imposing all the restrictions. We were ready and it hasn’t affected us at all, not even one percent. (The coordination) between me and Manu (is such that) we don’t have to talk and I think every coach has to learn that.” “Before, it was a long walk (to my hotel) from the shooting range but she walked with me,” Rana said, to which Bhaker joked: “That just made you fitter.” The personal versus national coach debate caused a lot of resentment in the run-up to Paris.

Rana, when asked about the solution going forward, said: “There can’t be two chefs (coaches). I think one person should take charge.” “There has to be some understanding and thankfully this time there was little understanding.” Bhaker, in turn, thanked Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, who arranged for Rana to travel to Paris to help her.

“We asked PT Usha ma’am and she assured us that ‘you do your job and just don’t worry about it’. I didn’t have to ask her again,” Bhaker revealed.