CHENNAI: After around four months on the sidelines due to coronavirus- enforced lockdown, a few elite shooters had finally managed to get standard training at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. However, after it was announced that a national coach, who was on duty at the range, tested positive for the coronavirus, that has raised some apprehensions.
Manu Bhaker’s father, Ramkishan Bhaker, is one among them but he remains hopeful that everything will be alright and Manu’s training won’t be disrupted. Speaking from Gujarat, Ramkishan revealed that both Manu — who specialises in 10m and 25m pistol — and himself had come in contact with the coach while training at the aforementioned range recently, but before the said coach tested positive.
And he also said that Manu is currently at home in Charkhi Dadri (Haryana) and had gone for training at the range for just a week from around mid-July. However, Ramkishan is not overtly worried. In a mandatory test when he landed in Gujarat, he tested negative. “I didn’t test because the coach was positive, but I did it because it’s mandatory for me in my job,” Ramkishan, a chief engineer at merchant navy, told this daily. “I wouldn’t have tested if it was not compulsory.
There is nothing to worry.” After the range had been reopened for elite shooters from early July, Manu — who has a makeshift 10m range installed at her home — had visited to get some much-needed training, especially in 25m pistol. “I have no symptoms, neither do my family. I’m concerned of course...we had met the coach, but we had followed basic social distancing. We are alright for now,” he said.