S Kannan in Paris
Manu Bhaker wept at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Riled and ridiculed, the girl gathered herself, step-by-step. On Sunday, at the 10 metres air pistol range, Manu was in combat mode: strong, fearless and focused. The air pistol weapons make less noise, but after the final shot, one could hear it loud. It resulted in a historic bronze medal for India in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Manu was composed, and even after sealing the first shooting medal for India as a woman athlete, she preferred to be calm. “I read the Holy Bhagavad Gita regularly. It has taught me to do your job, do your karma, not worry about results. And this win is for India and the entire team which has supported me,” said Manu.
How can a 22-year-old girl be so calm after breaking a barrier, the first Indian to shoot an Olympic medal? She was almost apologetic that it was a bronze medal. She did not need to apologise for she has shown Indian ladies can do what men can. These Olympics are about gender equality and Manu has lived up to the hype and delivered.
To be sure, if anyone was emotional and wept, it was coach Jaspal Rana, on a live YouTube show, with RevSportz Hindi. “I was not wrong,” said Jaspal. The reference was to the Tokyo Olympics, where he was portrayed as a villain, even in absence. “There was a lot of hard work put in and I thank PT Usha Madam and Captain Ajay Narang; they backed me and got me into Paris,” said Jaspal.
He never needed to be put through these emotions where there was hatred for him. Yet, his ward trusted him. The entire family trusted Jaspal as they stayed back in India. Manu’s father, Ramkishan Bhaker, and mother, Sumdedha Bhaker wanted to stay away from Paris, as that was what Manu wished for.
No distraction, no pressure from family. Just slog, train and shoot with coach Rana daily. It had become a routine. The coach would make her train hard, no cheat days. Manu needed extra sleep but the coach said she could sleep after the Olympics. “This is not the time to rest, each day matters he told her,” and this writer.
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🚨Medal Alert: Manu Bhaker breaks the deadlock, clinching the first medal for the nation.
Our correspondents @RohanDC98 and @iabhijitdesh can’t hold back their emotions as they recap Manu’s stellar bronze-winning display.@ThumsUpOfficial @realmanubhaker #ManuBhakar #Bronze… pic.twitter.com/xpj0t9Bxxj
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 28, 2024
The way Manu fought adversity for 13 months was crazy. People said she was mad to choose Jaspal as coach, but she did not budge. “For me, Jaspal Sir is the one who brought joy back into shooting for me,” she told RevSportz.
An athlete knows best what she needs. In the heat of Delhi and Dehradun, Manu had trained with Jaspal, with her mom always providing her food and all support. But the big deal was to get an accreditation card for the Olympics for Jaspal. This is where the full credit goes to IOA President Usha, and the magic happened on Sunday.
Back to the final, at no point did Manu look tense or struggling to keep pace with the rest. The way she was shooting, it was clear that she had control over her mind due to meditation. From pranayam, yoga to exercises, she has done everything to stay fit. Shooting demands high concentration and what one saw on Sunday was a diva on the big stage in a state of nirvana. Penance and poise; eventually, it landed a first medal for India in the Paris Olympics.
Two more medals beckon Manu as she competes in the mixed event and sports pistol. Emotionally, she will be drained when it sinks in what she has done. But then, if she goes on to win another medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics, that would not be an exaggeration.
“I just had to help Manu, she came to me. This was a challenge I took on for the nation. If I can help one shooter, it is my duty and honour. This medal is for India, I had promised this to you Anna, all along,” said Jaspal as he spoke to this writer.
Knowing him, he will push her hard again. The celebrations will have to wait, why not go for two more medals? “We will train and do our best. All the effort put in at slow fire helped in air pistol. I am not wrong, please don’t curse me ever,” said Jaspal to RevSportz.