NEW DELHI: Jaspal Rana, the coach of Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, recently disclosed his ongoing struggle to secure a permanent job since the Tokyo Olympics. This revelation came after Bhaker's historic achievement of winning a bronze medal in Paris, making her the first female shooter from India to win an Olympic medal.
In an emotional interview with RevSportz, Rana shared the hardships he has faced since Bhaker's unexpected exit from the Tokyo Games. He spoke about the criticism he received and the financial difficulties he has endured for the past three years.
Live Updates: Paris Olympics Day 4"All those who abused me, made me a villain after Tokyo, when I was not even present there are now wanting interviews from me. No problem, I did interviews, but are these people going to make up for my losses in life at large?" Rana questioned, reflecting on the backlash he faced.
Despite his happiness over Bhaker's Olympic success, Rana highlighted the lack of financial support from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and other sporting organizations. He has not received any salary for the past three years, leaving him in a challenging financial situation.
"I am nobody, I just did a job Manu wanted me to help her out with. But are people aware I have had no monthly salary from the National Rifle Association of India or any other agency over the last three years? I am more than happy Manu has shown what she can do, I only tapped into her potential. I need to go back to India and start afresh. I need to find a job to earn money," said Rana.
Rana expressed his gratitude towards PT Usha and Captain Ajay Narang for their assistance in obtaining accreditation for the Olympics, but he acknowledged the numerous obstacles he encountered even after securing it.
During the interview, Rana became emotional, expressing his sense of insignificance and financial hardship.
"Manu is the star, I am just a jobless coach. I am nobody. Manu made me relevant by asking me to help her. I need to find a job soon, these three years have been very tough for me. I never wanted to talk about this. Anyone going to get me a job, I have to ask around when I get back to India," he stated.
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