New gun, new confidence as Manu Bhaker wins 25m pistol silver at Asian Shooting Championships

“I feel that after so many lessons, I am able to move on rather quickly. I will never win everything, but at the same time, I will never lose everything as well. But as long as I’m working hard, I will try to keep giving my best,” Manu explained her lessons with precision much like her shooting.

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Manu started slowly in the final, with Esha and Nguyen leading the field. However, in the ninth elimination series, Esha missed five shots, and Manu climbed to the silver medal spot.

Talking about her final performance, Manu said,” I had a little problem in the beginning, and the grip pressure also changed in between the series. But it got better. I was trying to calm myself down throughout the final.”

Lessons from final

While Manu has won a plethora of medals in the 10m air pistol event, she has often faltered in the 25m pistol final, including at the Paris Olympics.

For context, this is her first-ever individual silver medal in the 25m Pistol event. Prior to this, she had won two bronze medals at the 2021 and 2023 ISSF World Cups. However, today’s performance is an indicator that she has improved in the finals.

L-R: Manu Bhaker, Thuy Trang Nguyen and Esha Singh at the podium of the 25m pistol at Asian Shooting Championship 2026. (PHOTO: NRAI)

“I think my performance in finals have improved over the years. Today’s performance can be called a little improvement,” said Manu. “I have taken notes, and I will discuss with my coach where we need to work more and how we can improve in the areas where we are weak.”

When asked how she balances both 10m and 25m events, she said,” I have been shooting in both disciplines since 2018. I always have the balance, and the results of one discipline doesn’t impact the other one. A loss or a gold in one event is not going to help me on the other one.”

In the 25m event, pistol-related issues have plagued Manu’s performance over the years, the most notable instance being the Tokyo Olympics, where the cocking lever of her pistol broke during the qualification round.

Last year, Manu took a long trip to the workshop of Italian pistol-makers Pardini in search of a new and better weapon.

So far, Manu has played a few tournaments with the new weapon, and she is still adjusting to it. “I am picking it up for now. I have played a couple of trials and this competition with the new gun. While I won’t get into much technicalities, the recoil of the new gun is better, and there is also a difference in the accuracy.”

2026 is going to be an important year for the Indian shooters with the Asian Games in sight and qualification for the 2028 LA Olympics starting on July 31st.

“Yes, the qualification cycle is starting, and I need to sit down with my coach to plan. We will plan how to manage my peak and which competitions we need to push harder for. For now, the Asian Games is definitely an important competition for us,” she concluded.