‘No battle is won on an empty stomach’: Manu Bhaker's father Ram Kishan

Manu Bhaker with her two Olympic bronze medals. Pic/PTI; (right) dad Ram Kishan and mum Sumedha

Superstar Indian shooter Manu Bhaker's father Ram Kishan has revealed that the secret to his daughter's success is her mother Sumedha's specialities prepared with Gond, a gum-like edible resin used commonly in Haryanvi cuisine. On Tuesday, after Manu alongside teammate Sarabjot Singh clinched the 10m air pistol mixed team bronze medal at the Paris Olympics to add to her individual 10m air pistol bronze which she won on Sunday, her father told mid-day over the phone, "Manu loves maa ke haath ka khana and in particular the gond dishes that she makes."

"In fact, even before leaving for the Paris Games, the only discussion at home was what food Manu will carry since we are pure vegetarians and it's not easy to get our choice of food abroad," Ram Kishan told mid-day over the phone from their home in Faridabad.

Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh with their 10m air pistol mixed team bronze medals in Paris. Pic/AP, PTI

The shooter from Jhajjar, Haryana, thus became the only Indian in the post-independence era to win two Olympic medals in the same edition of the Games. British-Indian athlete Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals in 200m sprint and 200m hurdles at the 1900 Olympics, but that was pre-Independence.

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Ram Kishan explained how Gond can be beneficial in a sport like shooting. "Normally, if it's a short trip then foods like parathas are fine, but for the Olympics, which is a long trip, other foods won't last. Gond can take the long haul. It's a very healthy option too, and very common in Haryanvi households. In a sport like shooting, things like heartbeat and pulse rate of the shooter matter. So, light foods are good. Gond is perfect. It is light and provides energy too. Manu's mum prepared Gond ke laddoos and some other items from Gond for her to carry to Paris. No battle can be won on an empty stomach and I'm convinced that this Gond has fuelled Manu's success in Paris," added Ram Kishan.

Manu Bhaker's dad Ram Kishan and mum Sumedha

Manu has been in impeccable form in Paris. In Tuesday's mixed final, she was up against Korea's Oh Yeh Jin, who had beaten her en route the 10m air pistol individual gold medal two days ago. In fact, in this final, Manu and Sarabjot got off on the wrong foot with the latter's opening shot fetching a poor 8.6, while Manu scored 10.2. The Koreans took the first two points, but thereafter, a series of consistent 10-pointers from Manu ensured the Indians raced to a 8-2 lead. Manu continued her 10s and Sarabjot thereafter began complementing her as the duo stormed to a 16-10 victory. Manu's technique and focus was almost unshakeable. Interestingly, Ram Kishan revealed that the family does not discuss Manu's shooting at all. "We leave Manu's shooting discussions to the experts, so it's between her and her coaches or other shooters. And now, after seeing her global success, I'm glad we do that," he signed off.