Updated On: 17 August, 2024 07:45 AM IST | New Delhi | PTI
Double Olympic medal-winning shooter Bhaker plans to indulge in hobbies like horse riding, violin, Bharatnatyam and skating during three-month break; coach Jaspal Rana insists on rest for injured shooting arm

Manu Bhaker with horse ride (right) playing the violin
Her shooting hand bruised by repeated pistol recoils during unrelenting training, Manu Bhaker will take a well deserved three-month break. But it won’t be a vacation. The double Olympic medallist will continue her other routines including yoga and waking up at 6 am — which she hates. And she also plans to catch up on her hobbies — horse riding, skating, Bharatnatyam and violin practice to name a few. Bhaker, 22, who won bronze medals in the 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team (partnering Sarabjot Singh) was at PTI headquarters on Friday along with her coach and shooting great Jaspal Rana for an interaction.
Proudly flaunting her medals, the vivacious youngster from Haryana’s Jhajjar spoke about her Paris preparations, how the Tokyo setback is nothing more than a distant memory now, and also her plans to indulge in everything that she put on hold for her Olympic dreams. “Now, I have some time off and I can probably do that [martial arts] again. I was unable to get that kind of time to invest in that [martial arts],” said Bhaker, a karate kid in her teens before a change of heart led her to shooting.