Manu Bhaker reflects on Hangzhou bronze, says 'there's still plenty of room for improvement'

Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker admitted she was left with "mixed feelings" after winning the women's 25m pistol bronze medal at the recently concluded ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, saying the podium finish was encouraging but also a reminder that she is capable of more.

Bhaker, who shared the spotlight with compatriot Esha Singh -- the gold medallist in the event -- helped India secure a double podium finish in the 25m pistol competition.

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The 24-year-old, however, is still searching for her first individual gold medal of the 2026 season. Her other notable result this year came at the Munich World Cup, where she won silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Samrat Rana. Bhaker also finished atop the podium at the Asian Championships in New Delhi earlier this year, although both her gold medals came in team events.

Reflecting on her latest outing, Bhaker wrote on X: "Another bronze. I have mixed feelings about this one. I am happy that I was able to improve my performance, but at the same time, I know I could have done better."

"What makes me happy is seeing that the hard work is showing. There's still plenty of room for improvement, and that's what keeps me motivated. One step at a time," she added.

Bhaker, the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games, is now turning her attention to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she has been selected in both the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events.

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Her Hangzhou campaign came in difficult circumstances following the death of her mentor and long-serving national coach, Jaspal Rana, who passed away in June due to heart-related complications at the age of 49.

At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, Bhaker played a key role in India's gold medal-winning performance in the women's 25m pistol team event.