Shooter Manu Bhaker and kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent out at the athletes' parade at the Asian Games Opening Ceremony on Saturday. (Photo: @WeAreTeamIndia/X)Hours before Manu Bhaker walked out holding the Indian flag with Pawan Sehrawat as the female flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony she had a message for her compatriots: “enjoy the time rather than complaining.”“To all my fellow athletes from India, we will have some issues. I saw couple of issues circulated in social media and people telling me these are the issues. Regardless of whatever the issues we have, this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience. We have to make sure that we enjoy the time rather than complaining,” Bhaker said in a video message posted by Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Thanks to her performance at the Paris Olympics — where she made history as the first athlete from Independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics (a bronze in individual and mixed team 10m air pistol events) — she was named as India’s flagbearer at the Asian Games.“We have prepared the best we can and so we must try to perform the best we can. We have worked so hard to be here and we should not waste our energy in pointing out that this is not right and that is not right. Medal may come or not, that is another story, but we must give our best.” Indias double Olympic medalist from Paris 2024 Manu Bhaker and kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat lead the Indian contingent at the athletes parade, during the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, in Nagoya. (PTI Photo)Many of the Indian athletes who flew into Nagoya for the Asian Games have experienced organisational issues with some waiting hours to be allotted hotel rooms. India’s shooting contingent, which is expected to rack in the maximum amount of medals, has also suffered issues, having to travel long distances to get to the training ranges.“When I came to know of this (being chosen as one of the flagbearers), I had flashbacks of my earlier days. When I started, I new never thought I would reach this far one day. It’s definitely feeling proud and honoured. I was just 16 years when I competed in the Asian Games in 2018. This is my third Asian Games. I was in Palembang (Indonesia) in 2018 and so could not attend the ceremony,” she was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.She said her late coach Jaspal Rana allowed her to take part in opening ceremonies of multi-sport events only if she is going to be a flagbearer.“The first time I attended the opening ceremony was in the Commonwealth Games and I was like if I am the flagbearer I will attend because my (then) coach Jaspal (Rana) sir said he will allow me attend the ceremony if I am the flagbearer, otherwise not. Since our matches usually start just a day after opening ceremony, it becomes hectic for us. So in opening ceremonies, I am either a flagbearer or I watch the ceremony on television.”