When she returned after a heartbreak at the Tokyo Olympics, Manu Bhaker’s parents Ramkishan Bhaker and Sumedha would recite hymns from the Gita with the young shooter. Even when the family went for a vacation in Kerala post the debacle, verses from the sacred book would often be read to the youngster between conversations.
And on Sunday, 1099 days after that disappointment in the Japanese capital, the 22-year-old had her redemption with a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the Chateauroux Range in France. Manu Bhaker finished with a tally of 221.7, just behind Koreans Oh Ye Jin and Kim Yeji. In fact, the Indian was in silver medal position before her final shot but Kim overtook her, shooting 10.5 against Manu’s 10.3.
The Bhaker household was understandably elated and her father remembers the spiritual lessons which became Manu’s mantra.
“Manu’s mother often recites shlokas from the Gita to her and one of the verses which she often recites is ‘yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śhubhāśhubham, nābhinandati na dveṣhṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā’ which means one who remains detached under all conditions, and is neither delighted by good fortune nor dejected by tribulation, he is a sage with perfect knowledge,” her father told The Indian Express.
Despite the podium finish, Ramkishan says Manu will be remembering the Tokyo debacle too this day.
It was on April 28, 2014 that a young Manu Bhaker first took a pistol in her hands at the Universal Senior Secondary School in Goria in Haryana, where her mother was the principal. Prior to that, she would delve into boxing, skating, volleyball, martial arts and tennis, winning more than 60 medals at the national level.
It was only after an eye injury suffered while playing volleyball at school that Manu’s interest in boxing dwindled and she looked for other sports to keep her busy.
“When Manu was born, my wife had her B.Ed exams the same day. So, we can say from day one, Manu had learnt to be on her own. That’s how we wanted her to be and whatever sport she liked, we gave her full freedom to play. She was a very good boxer, and it helped her build quick reflexes as a child,” shares Ramkishan.
The school had coaches Naresh and Anil Jakhar, a Kargil war veteran, who had started a shooting academy. With more than 30 girls training at the shooting range at the school, Manu Bhaker would urge her father to get her a new pistol from Chandigarh.
“I was a merchant navy engineer and whenever I would come home, Manu would be ready with her list of sports items. One month after she started shooting, I went to Chandigarh to get her first pistol costing Rs 1,80,000,” her father recalls.
Level-headed
Jakhar, too, remembers Manu’s early days in shooting at the village and counts one trait as her biggest strength. “Her family owns the school. Yet, she never showed off with other girls and would be at her shooting point on her turn. Sometimes, she would carry her books to the range and utilise the time studying before her turn came,” he says.
A horse-riding enthusiast, Manu learnt playing the violin in recent months in the build-up to Paris and also reconciled with her long-time coach Jaspal Rana. While Rana had seen her winning multiple Junior World Cup medals and senior international medals, the coach-shooter duo had parted ways prior to Tokyo Olympics.
Ramkishan sees this as a learning curve. “Jaspal Sir has seen her shooting right from her junior days and she shared a good rapport with him. Whatever happened, Manu’s biggest learning has been to forget things and work on things which help her achieve her target, an Olympic medal. Her brother Akhil gifted her a violin last year and she was as excited as when she started shooting.”
While she did her graduation from Delhi University, the last two years have seen Manu enrolling herself for a Masters degree in public administration at DAV College in Chandigarh, a college which counts Neeraj Chopra as one of its students. Professor Amanendra Mann, who is also on the ISSF jury, talks about Manu’s interest in studies motivating her.
“Among the Paris Olympics Indian shooters studying at the college, Manu has been the sharpest. She has developed a keen interest in public administration and often discusses the subjects with fellow shooters. Sometimes, shooters need some time off and it has helped her in a big way,” shares Mann from Paris.
At Goria, uncle Mahendra Bhaker is ready to call the school students to share the good news. “Every Teacher’s Day, Manu makes a point to visit the school and share her insights with the students as well as listen to them. Her medal will not only inspire the students but the whole country,” says the proud uncle.
Father Ramkishan knows Manu will not rest on her laurels. “She has learnt to play the national anthem on the violin. This bronze will motivate her for the mixed team event and maybe she can win a gold and let us hear the Indian anthem,” says the proud father.
