“Beyond the Target”: How Manu Bhaker Shoots Her Path To Bronze In Olympics 2024

By: Soham Manna

Manu Bhaker the 22- year – old woman is a living example of precession under pressure. She becomes the first Indian woman shooter to clinch the bronze in Paris Olympics 2024.

As well as she opens the medal hunt for India.

The shooter secured the bronze in the 10m air pistol event. She ended the 12-year medal drought for India. In 2012, the last time India won a medal in a shooting event was in London when Gagan Narang won the Men’s 10m Air Rifle and Vijay Kumar won the Men’s 25m Rapid fire pistol event.

How Manu Establishes History Is Not Always His- Story, It Is Also Her-Story

“After Tokyo, I was very disappointed, and it took me a very long time to overcome that. Frankly speaking, I really can’t explain how good I am feeling today.”- Manu Bhaker on her performance.

In 2020, Bhaker was disheartened with her performance in shooting, comparing it to a mundane 9 to 5 job. The passion that once diminished, and she considered leaving the sport to pursue higher education. But her fortune brought her on the right track.

On Sunday at  Chateauroux, Bhaker, in her second Olympics, cried out with joy as she entered the final rounds of an individual shooting event at the Olympics and finished third with 580 in the qualification rounds. She won the medal with a final score of 221.7

She has an advantage of 0.1- points over Kim Yeji of South Korea and places herself as worthy of the Silver medal. However, in the final shot, Bhaker shorts for 0.2 from the silver, while the Korean shot a 10.5, and she shot 10.3.

Oh YE Jin of South Korea won the gold medal after shattering the Olympic record. She broke Vitalina Batsarkshkina’s previous record of 240.3 with a final score of 243.2.

There are still many more to come as Manu will also be competing in the women’s 10m pistol mixed team event on Monday and the women’s 25m pistol events later in the competition.

Behind the Bronze

Rising from Goria Village of Jhajjar district in Haryana, her father Ram Kishan Bhaker works as a Chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. until the age of 14, she excelled in other sports like Huyen Langlon, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis, and skating, winning medals at the national games in these events.

In Guadalajara, Mexico, at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup, Bhaker defeated two-time champion Alejandra Zavala of Mexico to win the gold medal in the Women’s 10-meter air pistol. Manu Bhaker’s Olympics medal is a proud moment for India.

She set a new record for herself in the 25-meter air pistol qualifications round of the 2018 Asian Games with a score of 593. She placed sixth in the final, though she was unable to take home a medal.

In the women’s 10m air pistol competition at the 2018 Youth Olympics, Manu Bhaker led the points table with a score of 236.5. The gold medallist from the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup is also the Indian flag bearer for the Youth Olympics opening ceremony.

From The Shooting Range To Spiritual Insight

“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,” Via JioCinema

Manu Bhaker just achieved something amazing. Bhaker’s path serves as an inspirational example of how dedication and determination can result in amazing feats, as she continues to push the boundaries of her ability. Her accomplishment serves as a reminder that athletes may overcome obstacles and realise their dreams while making a significant impact on their sport and other fields with determination and focus.

An article by Soham Manna