A happy Manu Bhaker (right) after winning the bronze medal at the Olympics 2024.© AFP
Manu Bhaker etched her name in the golden pages of Indian sporting history on Sunday as she became the Indian woman shooter to win an Olympics medal. A resilient Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to claim an Olympic medal by snaring a bronze in the 10m air pistol event in Paris on Sunday, a triumph that opened the country's account in the Paris Games and ended a 12-year wait for its much-hyped shooters.
The last time India won shooting medals at the Olympics was in 2012 London edition where rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and 10m air rifle marksman Gagan Narang clinched silver and bronze respectively. Narang is the chef de mission of the Paris contingent right now.
"It was a long due medal for India. I was merely a mode to do it. India deserves even more medals. We are looking forward to (winning) as many medals as possible this time. Personally for me the feeling is surreal. I put in a lot of effort. Even till the last shot I was fighting with all energy that I had. This is a bronze. Maybe better next time," Manu Bhaker said after the win.
She was asked about the last few moments of the 10m air pistol final. "Honestly, I read a lot of Gita, so what was going through my mind is 'just do what you are meant to do, do what you are supposed to do' and leave whatever. Destiny you can't control. So, in Gita, Krishna says to Arjun: "You focus on the Karma, and not on the outcome. That was running in my head," Manu said.
"In Tokyo I was very disappointed. It took a long time to recover form that. The past is in the past, let's just focus on the present. This medal its a team work always. I am really happy I was a medium to do it."