Paris, Jul 28 (IANS): Manu Bhaker on Sunday made history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal in the Olympics, bagging a bronze in the 10m Air Pistol event in Paris 2024. Taking in the momentous occasion, Bhaker claimed the medal was long due as the country's shooters had fired blanks in the last two editions of the games at Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020). The 22-year-old shooter said the country ‘deserves even more medals.’
“I feel great and it was a medal long due for India. I was just merely a mode to do it and India deserves even more medals, as many as possible. We are looking forward to as many events as possible this time. And the entire team has worked really hard. And personally, for me, the feeling is really surreal," said Manu soon after winning the medal.
"I feel that I did a good job, put in a lot of effort, and even till the last shot I was just fighting with all the energy that I had. This was bronze. But I'm really grateful that I could win, maybe a better result next time,” said Manu in the post-event interview. Manu is participating in her second Olympic Games and is scheduled to shoot in one more discipline.
With a score of 221.7 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, Manu brought home India’s first shooting medal in 12 years since Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar’s successes at the London Olympics.
Manu was further asked about what was playing through her mind in the final moments of the close contest.
"I read a lot of Gita and all, so what was going through my mind is its teaching, 'just do what you are meant to do, just do what you are supposed to do and whatever the destiny, you can't control the outcome of it'. In the Gita, Krishna says to Arjun 'You know you focus on your karma and not on the outcome of the Karma', so only that was running through my mind. I was like, 'Okay, just do your thing and let it all be from here,” the bronze medallist told JioCinema.
Bhaker had previously suffered heartbreak in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when a technical snag in her pistol -- due to a broken lever that was preventing the barrel from functioning smoothly -- delayed her for six precious minutes, putting her under pressure during the qualification event.
“After Tokyo, I was very disappointed and how the events turned out to be for me, which were not very good. It took me a long time to overcome that. However, I came back stronger so that is what matters,” concluded the 22-year-old.