Paris Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker: I’m craving good Indian food!

‘Kuch bhi ghar ka, anything that is made by mom. I really love aloo parantha. It’s been three-four months since I had it. I am very much craving it. I am craving good Indian food,” says shooter Manu Bhaker, while speaking to HT City on phone, post her smashing victory opening India’s medal count by winning bronze medals for India in the women’s 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
The 22-year-old native of Goriya in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, who is also set to become India’s flag bearer at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, says, “This [the medal] was very much awaited. It’s the country’s victory and not mine alone. I am so glad I was the medium to do it for the country. I do not see myself as a star shooter. Although I have put in a lot of hard work, me and my entire team.”
She has become the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal at an Olympics and also won India’s first medal at the Paris Olympics. And while she was focused on her goal, her social media fan following back home grew exponentially to reach the 1M mark on Instagram. “I can’t even imagine! I am really grateful for the love I have been receiving online. So many people wished me, legends I have looked up to, our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), PV Sindhu…I really love and admire her journey,” says this alumna of Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College.
While her journey has had its share of highs and lows, she says what kept her going was the “commitment an athlete makes to self”, and the team she works with. “I have put in eight and a half years of journey in this field. It’s not just our sacrifice that brings us here, it’s also the team’s effort, my coach, family, and many people have always looked forward to me. A major sacrifice any athlete face is staying away from the family because in order to find a good training base many athletes go to some other cities and in some case even countries. It can be really difficult at times,” says Manu who is now eying to ace LA Olympics 2028.
A rigorous routine also meant her skipping lunch in Paris, she shares, adding, “My schedule was such that my entire day would go at the shooting range, and I would only get snacks there. Lunch was there in the village, but I would leave for the range at around 7.30am and come back only between 3pm or 5pm, and by that time lunch would be usually over,” she adds, feeling proud when asked her reaction if a movie were to be based on her journey: “It’ll be an honour if that happens. Inspiring anybody even a single person is a great thing. I’ll be very grateful If I am able to do that!”
 
Story by Naina Arora