Srijita Seal Desher Samay
Web Desk: Momentous moment for all Indians. Manu Bhaker made history. She won the first Olympic medal for the country this time. That day, she won bronze. On Tuesday, she won bronze again. This time in the mixed 10m air pistol event. India defeated South Korea. The final score was 16-10.
In the mixed 10m air pistol event, Manu Bhaker’s partner was Sarabjot Singh. From the beginning of the bronze match, India’s prowess was evident. It never seemed like the match would slip out of Manu and Sarabjot’s hands. Ultimately, Bhaker-Singh made glorious history by bagging the country’s second medal.
There is a proverb: where there is will, there is a way. Manu proved this. Four years back in the Tokyo Olympics, her fate misstepped, and Manu got disappointed; now, she has become a beacon of light. Manu ended a 12-year jinx, and this time she added even more to her tally. In 2012, Gagan Narang won bronze in the pistol event, and he is now at the Games as a team coach. Manu’s monumental victory made Gagan proud as well.
Within a span of two days, Manu Bhaker made an iconic history . After winning bronze in the individual 10m air pistol event, she also won bronze in the mixed event. Her partner was Sarabjot Singh. Manu became independent India’s first athlete who won two medals in the same Olympics. After the victory, she said that she wasn’t thinking about the second medal or making history; she just wanted to keep fighting until the end.
Explaining her comeback, Manu said, “Actually, we don’t always have control over everything. We try to give our best in what we can control. Before coming to Paris, Sarabjot and I decided not to get distracted by anything else. On the day of the event, we would give our best. Whatever happens after that, we will accept it. We will keep fighting until the end.”
