Odds unable to ‘trap’ Manisha’s progress
PUNE: Manisha Keer’s two gold medals in shooting on successive days at the Khelo India Youth Games came as a huge relief for her coaches from Madhya Pradesh. They have often seen her intensity drop at crucial moments. “She is a talented kid and has done well to progress this far since taking up shooting in 2013 but needs more training to be consistent,” said Indrajeet Sikdar about his ward, who equalled the junior world record on way to winning silver in trap at the 2018 ISSF World Championship in Changwon, South Korea.
Manisha’s coach is confident she has the grit to overcome odds. Her struggles since her childhood indicate that she won’t be afraid to take on the challenges. A resident of Goragaon, near Bhopal, Manisha’s father Kailash is a fisherman while mother Shakuntala is a street-food vendor. Growing up with six other siblings, Manisha would often accompany her father during fishing.
“After winning the individual trap event, I was confident of doing well in the mixed event. I was expecting a good performance but to get two gold medals is a special feeling,” said Manisha, who completed a golden double on Sunday, after winning the U-21 mixed trap event with Madhya Pradesh’s Anwer Hassan Khan.
It was almost by chance that Manisha found her calling while
› She will undergo mental conditioning. With the willpower she has, we believe specialised training will help her get into the senior team. INDRAJEET SIKDAR, Keer’s coach
on a visit to the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy with her elder sister Soniya, who is into water sports with the state team. “She was so interested in shooting that we asked her to take the trials at our state academy,” Sikdar said. “At the beginner level we test a shooter’s eyesight, hand-eye coordination and their ability to understand instructions given to them. Manisha was excellent in all. The Madhya Pradesh State government sponsored her gun and we are expecting bigger things from her.”
Apart from state coaches Sikdar and Hemraj Rana, Manisha is also coached by Mansher Singh, 1994 CWG trap gold medallist. Doing well at the senior level is the next step for the 19-year old shooter. “Last year Manisha competed in the nationals and the senior selection trials in successive months but could not do well. She needs to train more. Now we are concentrating on the second and third qualifications in Jaipur in February. We have set small goals for her and want her to focus on that,” Sikdar said.