'Manu Bhaker was disappointed for missing gold. One wrong shot.': Father after daughter's historic double Olympic bronze
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India, July 30 -- Shooting is a bit different than most other sports. The shooters don't show a lot of emotions during or even after their events. You rarely see a shooter jumping and screaming after winning the world championships or an Olympic medal. It's as if they are still in the zone where everything else stops; it's just their gun and the target. India's history maker, Manu Bhaker, is the epitome of that.The first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, ending a 12-year wait for the shooting contingent, barely smiled and waved at the few chanting her name on Sunday at the shooting arena in Chateauroux, France. 48 hours later, she achieved something bigger, becoming independent India's first athlete to win two medals at the same Olympics after winning bronze - her second at the Games - in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with partner Sarabjot Singh.A smile, slightly broader than the previous one and another wave at the crowd.
If her tears after a pistol malfunction in Tokyo stayed with the Indian fans like a dagger to the heart, her wry smile after scripting history in Paris was an ocean of breeze, converting all the pain into an overwhelming joy of redemption.But Manu was far away from all these emotions reserved for mortals. After winning the individual bronze in women's 10m air pistol, she postponed the celebrations to stay focussed on her upcoming events. And when she missed the gold medal match by just one point, finishing third in the mixed team event qualification with Sarabjot, she told her father, "It was just because of one wrong shot".That's Manu Bhaker for you. Even the prospect of a double medal at the same Games could not deter her from thinking about improving her scores further."She couldn't reach the gold medal match so she was saying one shot was not good... let's hope she does even better in the coming event," Ramkrishna Bhaker, Manu's father, told ANI on Tuesday.Manu, already at a stage no other Indian athlete has ever reached, could enhance her reputation further by winning a third medal at the 25m air pistol event, which is, by the way, her stronger suit."I am very happy.
This is big news for the whole country. I thank the countrymen for giving their love and blessings to Manu and also helping her in tough times," Ramkrishna Bhaker said.Manu's mother, Sumedha, thanked coach Jaspal Rana for guiding her daughter."...After getting Jaspal sir's guidance, today Manu has done wonders...," she said moments before wrapping herself in the Indian tricolour.Sarabjot's father, Jitender Singh went onto express his feelings too after his son bagged a bronze medal along with Bhaker."...Manu Bhaker and my son have won Bronze. Heartiest congratulations to Manu Bhaker and her family. We are delighted...First, I will visit the Gurudwara and pay obeisance...There will be celebrations in our village...," Jitender Singh said.Sarabjot Singh's Assistant Coach, Gaurav Saini, hailed his ward's discipline and determination. "It feels great. The entire nation is proud of them. They have reached this stage and won Bronze, with great hard work...Sarabjot has worked hard to win all the medals he has bagged so far...He is very disciplined," he said.The Indian pair defeated the Korean duo of Lee Wonoho and Oh Yeh Jin 16-10 to earn the country its second medal in Paris.
