Young Olympian Manu Bhaker teaches basics of Shooting to Smriti Mandhana ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

In a captivating episode of Jio Cinema, ‘When Athletes Pick Up Another Sport,’ women's cricket icon Smriti Mandhana and Olympics-bound shooter Manu Bhaker exchanged insights in their respective sports. 

With less than a week remaining for Paris 2024 this amazing crossover helped both athletes to understand the pressure they face. Bhaker, who is set to compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, 25m pistol, and 10m air pistol mixed team events, took time to explain the intricate details of shooting to Mandhana.

The episode highlighted how sports require different skills and mindsets. Mandhana, known for her explosive batting and sharp fielding, discovered that shooting demands a high level of precision and control.

Also Check: Olympics 2024: Complete list of Indian athletes revealed

Bhaker explained the critical elements of shooting, emphasizing the need for a consistent breathing pattern and precision. She stated, “Shooting is a sport which gives a lot of emphasis to precision. Being a shooter, we need to maintain a very even pattern while breathing. While we take the shot, we hold onto our breath and try shooting in between our heartbeats. This is something that takes a lot of training, practice, hard work, and experience.”

What does Smriti teach Manu Bhaker?

Smriti Mandhana, in turn, introduced Bhaker to the world of cricket, focusing on the importance of momentum and rhythm over technicalities. She provided lessons on aiming correctly and maintaining the right posture, which is crucial in cricket fielding drills.

Bhaker embraced the challenge, trying her hand at making direct hits at the stumps. She found similarities between the concentration required in shooting and the focus needed in cricket. Bhaker remarked, “This was not an easy challenge to take, I tried a lot, with concentration. The breathing pattern and importance of focus is very similar to shooting, but then it is different in all other aspects.”

Also Check: Top 5 richest female cricketers in the World

The mutual admiration between the two athletes was evident as they explored each other's sports. Mandhana expressed a newfound appreciation for shooting, considering it as a potential activity for her downtime. She noted, “Shooting is something I would like to try on my off days. I love the sport, and this will also help me be calm, something which is important for me due to my fidgety nature. In fact, with shooting, the chances of injuries are very low, and it can be a good unwinding activity.”