Manu Bhaker has earned herself a top position in India’s overall medal journey at the Olympics by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic edition. Bhaker is also the only Indian shooter to have won a medal in the Olympics at any shooting event.
She clinched two bronze medals in the 10 m pistol event. On Sunday, she grabbed her maiden medal in the women’s category of the same event, and her second triumph was with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed category.
It was a redemption journey for the shooter duo who secured their medal against South Korea’s Lee Wonoho and Oh Yeh Jin with a score of 16-10.
Sarabjot Singh missed his men’s single 10 m air pistol event when he found himself in the ninth position with a score of 577.
Bhaker's journey from a disappointing Tokyo Olympics 2021 run to becoming a conqueror at the Paris Games is nothing short of inspiring and motivating.
Hailing from a small Goria village in Jhajjar district, Haryana, she grew up with a passion for sports. She initially dabbled in various disciplines, including boxing, tennis, and skating, before finding her true calling in shooting.
Her meteoric rise was evident in 2017 when she won nine gold medals at the National Shooting Championships.
Her breakthrough came at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she won two gold medals in the 10m Air Pistol event, becoming one of the youngest Indian shooters to achieve this feat.
Her graph of stellar performances kept on rising, with her grabbing Gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympic Games in the same year. Following that, in 2019, she clinched gold again in the ISSF World Cup finals in a mixed event.
However, with all these primordial achievements in her hands, a major glitch in her career awaited her at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she lost her medal due to her pistol malfunction.
Reflecting on her performance back in the day, Manu said, “After Tokyo, I was very disappointed, and the events turned out not to be very good for me. It took me a long time to overcome that. However, I came back stronger. So what is now is what matters. Let's just let the past remain in the past.”
Her calm demeanour and focus under pressure, which are important shooting traits, make her a star shooter. In 2020, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award, which recognised her outstanding performances.
Her journey from a small village in Haryana to Paris is a testament to her hard work. Her historic achievement at the Olympics is an indication of her resilience and a significant milestone for women’s sports in the country.
Manu expressed her pride, saying, “I'm feeling proud, and there is a lot of gratitude. Thanks for all the blessings.”
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