Paris medallists Swapnil Kusale, Manu to miss World Cup Final

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 24

Two of the three shooters who combined for three medals at the recent Paris Olympics will miss the season-ending ISSF World Cup Final, to be held here in October.

Pistol shooter Manu Bhaker — who won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and then combined with Sarabjot Singh to bag another bronze in the mixed team event — and 10m air rifle bronze medal winner Swapnil Kusale have pulled out of the competition.

The World Cup Final, which is the last competition on the calendar for international shooters, is scheduled to be held here from October 13 to 18. However, many of the shooters — including Manu, Swapnil and even Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle event in Paris — have chosen to take some time away from the sport. They have informed the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) of their decision. Sarabjot and a few others, however, have yet to send their written consent about taking part in the event.

Manu, as her coach Jaspal Rana revealed, decided to take a break to rest and recover after the Olympics. “We had already decided that she will take rest after the Olympics. The World Cup Final was not our priority as she needs to give her body and mind some rest,” Rana told The Tribune on Saturday.

“She has had no break in the last six-seven years. She is not a machine. Now the time is right. She has been dry-training and working on her fitness, but will take more time to start training seriously,” he added.

Swapnil, too, has taken a break and will start training seriously a month before the National Championships, to be held in November. “Swapnil has also pulled out,” his coach Deepali Deshpande said. “Currently, because of numerous felicitation functions, he is not able to do his daily physical exercises. But he should be back in all earnest before the Nationals.”