New Delhi: After a historic campaign at the Paris Olympics in which she won two bronze medals, pistol shooter Manu Bhaker expressed her delight at seeing shooting gaining global attention, despite not being a visually appealing sport for spectators.
Manu created history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by becoming the first Indian to win two medals — Women’s 10m Air Pistol and Mixed 10m Air Pistol — in a single Olympic campaign post-Independence. She also became the first Indian woman to win a medal in shooting at the Olympics.
In an email interaction with IANS, the Olympic medallist shooter highlighted how Turkish shooter Yousuf Dikec’s calm demeanour at the range drew global attention, boosting the sport’s international recognition.
Excerpts:
IANS: A Turkish pistol shooter, Yusuf Dikec, who took silver in a mixed team event where you took bronze, went viral for his nonchalance at the shooting range. How do you see his attitude in the shooting range?
Manu: During the tournament, I was quite focused on my own events, and I genuinely did not read too much news or follow much of what was happening. After coming to India, I realised how it went viral. It is amazing to see the varied styles of modern-day shooting.
Shooting at one point, might not have been the most visually appealing sport for spectators watching on television sets. But I feel like this is changing. It is great to see the sport getting attention now from all around the world in multiple aspects. I hope it continues to receive similar attention.
IANS: You had a close fourth-place finish in the 25m Pistol event. What was in your mind when you went into the shoot-off with the Hungarian shooter Veronika Major, who was not in medal contention for most of the time in the final?
Manu: The entire match I was focused on myself only, I did not compare myself with others or my scores with others. I was very nervous and was only trying to do my best.
IANS: You came back to a rousing welcome (which is obvious since you scripted history). What was the first thing you did after coming home to your parents and how did they react (the genuine reaction) when they finally saw and touched your medal (two Olympic medals)?
Manu: I gave them a big hug. I was quite emotional because I am quite close to my family. One of the hardest aspects of an athlete’s life is being away from your family for long periods. My family was also emotional seeing me and I could see the pride in their faces. It was a memorable moment.
IANS: The shooting contingent had huge expectations after Tokyo. When you step onto the range in Paris, be it for qualification or the finals. Was it on your mind to make up for Tokyo?
Manu: I did not think about Tokyo at all. I took lessons from Tokyo, but I never thought of making up for it.
IANS: What does it take to be an Olympic medal winner? How did you prepare yourself for the grand sporting arena, mentally and physically? What is that thing most people don’t know about the Olympic range (its environment and the aura, etc.)?
Manu: I kept patience and courage in the low phases and tried to be consistent with my routines in high times. We must put in honest hard work and we’re physically and mentally fit to be able to deal with any situation that might occur before or during the games. Sometimes luck can also play some part.
IANS: After your third final, you said you have to go and have lunch since you hadn’t eaten properly due to back-to-back events. What was the first thing you ate after that?
Manu: After the match, as I reached the Games village, being a vegetarian, I only had options for boiled or steamed vegetables and fruits, so I had that. In India, I had aloo paratha and shakkar churma.
IANS: Since every sport requires participants to be fit to perform at their best, you do have your own regime. So what is your favourite meal, did you have something scrumptious from KFC after your historic campaign?
Manu: My all-time favourite is aloo parathas by my Mumma, but I recently tried KFC’s new Indian Spicy Veg Roll, and that has really made it to my list of favourites now.
IANS: Most successful sports biopics are based on mostly male athletes or most sports biopics are on male athletes — Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Chandu Champion, Dhoni, Soorma, Paan Singh Tomar and more. Among the biopics based on female athletes– Only Mary Kom was a great success. What is your take on this?
Manu: I do not get time to watch many movies – but I feel every individual athlete deserves to be celebrated – be it male or female. Because even if an athlete is unable to achieve a similar level of success as some of these names mentioned, their story is worth being told. As I said, an athlete’s journey is filled with a lot of struggles, choices, and sacrifices.
I feel lucky to have such a strong support system around me – my parents, my coaches, and my family have been my backbone. However, some athletes may still be struggling to have a solid support system around them. Every athlete’s journey can be a book or a biopic because each one has stories worth exploring.
IANS: If ever there is a movie based on your achievements, who would you like to play your part?
Manu: I barely get time to watch films. I’m sure our film industry has great actors and actresses. However, I do not know, maybe you can tell me who is the right person.
–IANS
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