In Tokyo, she was disappointed. After that, her life had become chaotic. She didn’t even feel like looking at the pistol. Today, Manu Bhaker touched another milestone on the banks of the Seine and this was a historic moment.
India wins its first medal in Paris! Manu Bhaker clinches Olympic bronze in women’s 10m air pistol.
After a series of heartbreaks in Tokyo, On Sunday, 22 year old Manu Bhaker brought the first good news for India from Paris by winning the first medal at the Paris Olympics! She stepped onto the podium in the 10-meter air pistol event.
Shooting has always been a well-tended garden for India. Once upon a time, in the Olympics, shooting was India’s biggest hope. Think about the consecutive Olympics: Athens, Beijing, and London. In three consecutive Olympics, shooters were India’s mainstay. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens, Abhinav Bindra made history in Beijing, and Gagan Narang in London. These shooters, with their consecutive targets, took the pride of the tricolor to soaring heights.
But after this, there was a catastrophic disruption. In Rio, India had a completely disappointing result, having to be content with just two medals. However, the tide turned afterward. In Tokyo, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, India virtually created a storm of medals. Yet, amid the stellar performances of Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, PV Sindhu, and Bajrang Punia, the Indian shooters disappointed once again. They couldn’t bring home a single medal.
The coins flipped in the city of Napoleon. In the city of Maupassant, Manu Bhaker began writing a new story. She became the first Indian woman to win a medal in shooting.
Tokyo was Manu’s first Olympics. Her coach, Jaspal Rana, had said that such talent comes ‘once in an era.’ In her first Olympics, Manu was under immense pressure, leading to disastrous outcomes. In the end, she couldn’t make it to a single final. She was overwhelmed with disappointment and didn’t even want to hold a pistol. She thought it was the end.
But it was in her reluctance to hold the pistol that her life returned to its previous flow.
Love and passion—these things can surge and ebb. Sometimes, when the flow diminishes, a void is created. It feels like the end. But that very void later strengthens the bond. It shows how strong the love truly is. Being away from the shooting range made Manu realize how much she belonged there and how much she loved the sport.
This was bound to happen. Her father, Ramkishan Bhaker, works in the Merchant Navy. Seeing his daughter’s interest in sports, he bought her something rarely seen in India: a sports rifle. That changed her life.
Manu stepped onto the podium. She missed the gold. In the 10-meter air pistol event, her two competitors were from Korea. Oh Ye-jin won the gold, and Kim Ye-ji won the silver. Despite raising hopes for gold, Manu’s bronze victory has flooded the nation with immense joy .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already elated with Manu’s success. He wrote on his X handle,
“A historic medal!
Well done,
@realmanubhaker, for winning India’s FIRST medal at #ParisOlympics2024! Congrats for the Bronze. This success is even more special as she becomes the 1st woman to win a medal in shooting for India.
An incredible achievement!
#Cheer4Bharat”
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1817511901355721186?t=xg4Am0uun3v1Qr76iRijkQ&s=19
