This is about the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Manu Bhaker, who was the number one shooter at that time, was in the qualifying round. Manu had to take 44 shots in 55 minutes. Then her pistol malfunctioned. She could not aim for 20 minutes. Even after the pistol was repaired, Manu could only hit 14 shots and failed.
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When Manu returned to India, she was so sad that her mother started worrying. She hid Manu’s pistol so that no one could see it and Manu would not feel sad. Mother Sumedha says, I could not watch Manu’s match. Later, when I saw her video, I felt very sad. I thought that when I am feeling sad, what would be the condition of Manu.
Manu Bhaker, a resident of Jhajjar in Haryana, is also the biggest contender for a medal in the Paris Olympics this time. Today, on 28 July, she will enter the final of the 10 meter air pistol event. In the qualification event held on Saturday, she scored 580 points out of 600 and finished third among 45 shooters.
This is Manu Bhaker’s second Olympics. This time she is participating in three shooting events.
Mother hopes that the sadness she felt at the Tokyo Olympics will go away in Paris. Read the ground report from Manu’s home…
Mother wanted to make her a doctor, teacher said who would know a doctor
Manu’s mother Dr. Sumedha Bhakar has been a school principal. She wanted her daughter to become a doctor. The school’s physical teacher asked to put Manu into sports. The teacher said that who will know the doctor, if Manu wins a medal for the country, the whole world will know her. Dr. Sumedha liked the physical teacher’s advice. Manu’s sports journey started from here.
Started with boxing, quit when he got an eye injury
Manu’s father Ramkishan wanted her to become a boxer. Manu’s elder brother was a boxer. So Manu also started boxing. She also won medals at the national level. One day while practising, Manu’s eye got hurt. The eye got badly swollen.
After getting injured, Manu decided to quit boxing. She got full support from her mother. Her mother clearly told Manu’s father that she will not allow her daughter to play any game in which she gets injured.
After that Manu left boxing and tried her hand at martial arts. Here Manu felt that cheating happens in this game. She left martial arts too. She started practising archery, tennis, skating, won medals too, but did not like any of them.
This photo is taken from Manu’s photo album. The photo is from the finals of the Karate Championship.
She started shooting in school, on the very first shot the coach said- this girl will bring a medal
Manu had tried her hand at many games, but she was not able to understand anything. The Universal School where her mother was the principal also had a shooting range. Her mother sent Manu to the shooting range with her father. Manu had just shot the first shot when physical teacher Anil Jakhar recognized her talent. He told Manu’s mother to let Manu give time to this game, she will bring medals for the country.
Manu’s mother wanted her daughter to become a doctor because there was no doctor in the family. She says, ‘Manu was good at studies. She was especially strong in biology. She had even looked for a coaching centre in Kota to prepare for the medical entrance exam.’
Then physical teacher Anil Jakhar entered. He told Manu’s mother to give Manu to him for a few days. I want her to do shooting. Manu was only 14 years old then.
At that time Rio Olympics-2016 had just ended. Manu asked her father to get her a shooting pistol within a week. The father agreed to his daughter’s request and got her a pistol. Within a year Manu won a medal at the national level and got selected for the junior program of the Shooting Federation. There she got the support of international medalist Jaspal Rana. Jaspal Rana is Manu’s coach now.
Manu Bhaker with coach Jaspal Rana. Jaspal Rana has also won gold medal four times in Asian Games.
Won gold in state competition in 15 days of practice
Manu practiced for just 15 days and went to participate in the state competition held in Mahendragarh. She returned after winning gold in the very first competition. She got 4500 rupees as prize. Manu was very happy. Her parents also felt that she could do well in shooting.
Manu entered the National Shooting Championship in 2017, just three years after starting shooting. She defeated Olympian and former world number-1 Heena Sidhu. She also set a new record by scoring 242.3 in the 10 meter air pistol. Manu won 9 gold medals in the championship, which is a national record.
Mother left her job as principal for Manu
Manu’s mother Dr. Sumedha says, ‘When Manu won gold in the Commonwealth Games in 2018, I felt that my daughter needs me now. I left my job at the school. I started taking Manu to Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi for regular practice.’
When she was out of the Tokyo Olympics, she decided to quit shooting
The effect of not winning a medal in the Tokyo Olympics started showing on Manu’s shooting. There came a time when she had to struggle to make a place in the national team. Mother Dr. Sumedha says, ‘Manu was very disappointed.’
‘One day she said that she wanted to go abroad and do a course in fashion designing and marketing management. I agreed and kept Manu’s pistol in the cupboard. Manu loves shooting a lot. She could not stay away from it for long. She started going for practice again. She joined coach Jaspal Rana again. Manu’s decision was right. Once again she is participating in the Olympics.’
Manu finished 12th in the Tokyo Olympics due to a faulty pistol. When Manu was asked about this bad experience, she replied – ‘What’s past is past. I can’t change anything. I tried the best that was possible at that time. I think it would be better if we let the past remain past.’
Manu Bhaker could not reach the final of the 10m air pistol event at the Tokyo Olympics due to a faulty pistol.
The father said- the daughter was winning medals, but he was worried about the license
Manu’s father Ramkishan Bhakar says, ‘Initially we had to make a lot of rounds to get a pistol license. Manu was winning medals at the international level, yet I had to make rounds of the police and district administration officials to get the license renewed. Now the process of making licenses for shooters has become much easier.’
In 2018, Manu won two gold medals in the International Shooting Sports Federation, i.e. ISSF. It took Manu two and a half months to obtain the license for the pistol with which she shot in the championship. Usually, players get this license within a week.
In August 2020, Manu Bhaker was awarded the Arjuna Award.
Target to win at least one gold in Paris
This time 21 shooters from India have qualified for the Olympics. Manu is the only shooter among them who will participate in three events. These include 10 meter air pistol, 10 meter air pistol mixed and 25 meter pistol events. Manu also participated in three events in Tokyo Olympics, but could not win any medal.
Leaving behind the bad memories of Tokyo Olympics, Manu is now preparing to win a medal in Paris. In an interview before going to Paris, she said that my preparation is good. Every athlete dreams of a podium finish. It is also my dream to bring at least one gold, if not three or two.
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