At last one of India’s most promising young shooters Manu Bhaker has kept her tryst with destiny. She was always destined to bag a medal at the Olympic Games. The cloud of bad luck that had prevented her from getting a medal on the previous occasion vanished like a bad dream in Paris. On Sunday the City of Light illuminated the career of one of India’s best shooters and gave our nation an unforgettable moment.
The shining medal and her bright smile gladdened more than a billion hearts in India. In a short but hugely successful shooting career, the young woman from Haryana has accumulated a vast treasury of medals from different competitions. But the most coveted of all, an Olympic medal, was missing. In Paris, she lifted a bronze medal to make sure that her collection was complete.
A late starter
She was born on 18th February 2002 and took to sports from an early age. But her interest was not in shooting at the time. She was interested mainly in martial arts. It was not until she was 14-year-old that she developed a love for shooting. So she was a late starter in the sports. But she made up for it by speeding ahead of everyone else in a short span of time.
In the 2017 National Games, she won an astounding nine gold medals. Experts could not believe what they were seeing. After just one year in the sport, the 15-year-old lass defeated multiple World Cup medal winner Heena Sidhu. In the process she also broke Sidhu’s record of 240.8 points by scoring 242.3 points.
In the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Mexico, Manu Bhaker defeated Mexico’s Alejandra Zavala, a two-time champion, and won the gold medal in the Women’s 10-meter air pistol event. By winning the gold medal at age 16, Bhaker became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the World Cup. Numerous other victories followed. There was a stage when she seemed unstoppable and unbeatable.
Disaster in Tokyo
But then came disaster in the Tokyo Olympics of 2020 (held in 2021). All her superb skills seemed to have deserted her. She finished a disappointing 12th in the 10 metre air pistol event, 15th in the 25 metre event, and 7th in the mixed team event.
The shocking setbacks were too much for the teenager to handle. It was traumatic. Her mind could not cope with the defeats after having won so many competitions with ease earlier. She lost interest in the sport and contemplated giving it up for good. But fortunately for her, and India, wiser counsel prevailed. Her family, friends, and coaches stood by her and helped her recover her focus on the sport.
Help from Jaspal Rana
Her present coach Jaspal Rana, himself a legend in shooting (Rana is a former world record holder and son of an SPG commando) has played a major role in helping her to attain success once again.
In the Paris Olympics competition, at one point Manu slipped out of the medal bracket. The old nightmare seemed to be returning. It was then that her eyes sought out Jaspal Rana who was seated in one corner of the spectators in the gallery. He made a gesture with his hand and brought it to his own chest.
What signal that was we do not know. But perhaps the coach was reassuring her and telling her to look within herself. She must calm herself and shut out the rest of the world. Perhaps that was what he was telling her. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and steadied her nerves.
Then the dark cloud passed away once again. Her shots began finding the mark with unerring accuracy. The golden touch was back! Although the two Korean girls had gone too far ahead for Manu to catch up, she consolidated her third position and made sure of the bronze. As she did so, immediately her face glowed with the light of success.
Sachin Tendulkar’s message
Messages of congratulations flowed in from all quarters. Shooter Abhinav Bindra, who gave India its first individual gold medal in the Olympic Games, lauded her determination and perseverance. But it was Sachin Tendulkar who put it in a nutshell when he wrote on Instagram: “After overcoming heartbreak in Tokyo, you have shown immense strength and determination. You have made India proud.” Sachin was right. Truly, India is a proud nation today and all Indians are hoping that many more medals will follow.
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