 "Manu Bhaker Exclusive: ‘Tokyo taught me much-needed lessons’, Paris Olympics medallist on comeback from heartbreak")
Manu Bhaker, who won two historic medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics recently, said that her experience at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago taught her some important lessons, which helped her script a turnaround and make a comeback in Paris.
At the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Manu suffered a pistol malfunction which eventually led to a heartbreaking exit. She, however, went onto win silver at the 2022 ISSF World Championships followed by a gold medal in the same event last year.
The 22 year-old created history on Sunday when she became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, clinching bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event. On Tuesday, Bhaker followed that up with a bronze in the mixed team 10m Air Pistol match after she teamed up with Sarabjot Singh.
Also read | Manu Bhaker: List of records held by history-making shooter
“Honestly, it has already sunk in, because I have another match to shoot in two days time. So, now what’s done is done. Celebrations can wait for a week, but I have to get ready for the next match,” Manu told Rupha Ramani in an exclusive interaction on the First Sports show.
“Definitely, Tokyo taught me much needed lessons, and from there I would say that this journey was much more successful, because of the experience I got in Tokyo.
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More Shorts“The thing is to go as per my way, but now I can look at the medals that I have won and say,” Okay, what is done is done. Let’s just focus on what’s next. The next Olympics will be in four years, rather than celebrating now for this medal, I would rather put up my best in the next event, and then I can celebrate altogether,” she added.
Bhaker will next be in action at the Women’s 25m Air Pistol qualification on Friday.
Manu Bhaker credited her coach Jaspal Rana for having helped her become who she is now. “Time teaches one so many things. It’s the time and definitely my coach Jaspal sir. He has taught me to be patient and let go of things as soon as possible because people forget things in no time,” she said.
Bhaker also explained how legendary shooters like Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang, who are also Olympic medallists, played a crucial role in her life.
“I have always known of legends like Abhinav sir and Gagan sir the moment I started shooting. I have always known these people like these. Since I started off my career, I have been in touch with them, talking to them one-on-one, which gives me pleasure,” the Haryana-born athlete described.
“So, I would say that heroes are not just created like that. It takes a long time to be able to become one, to be able to make a person like a champion. In that journey, it’s not just one person or the athlete that wins, but an entire nation and the entire people who have supported, like Sports Authority of India (SAI),” she continued.
“I came through Khelo India Games. I have always had my sponsors with me. The OGQ has always been there for me, even in my lowest. All these things combined make you the champion. I am grateful that I was able to follow the footsteps of Abhinav sir and Gagan sir,” recalled the reigning Asian Games champion.
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