Paris Olympics 2024 | How Bhagavad Gita helped Manu Bhaker win a historic bronze?
Paris Olympics 2024: Manu Bhaker etched her name into the golden pages of Indian sporting history. She became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal.
Bhaker won a bronze medal in the 10m women's air pistol event, giving India its first medal at the Paris Games and ending a 12-year wait for its much-anticipated shooters.
The last time India won shooting medals at the Olympics was in London in 2012 when rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and 10m air rifle marksman Gagan Narang took silver and bronze. Currently, Narang serves as the chef de mission for the Paris contingent.
Following a remarkable achievement, Manu Bhaker spoke with broadcasters JioCinema about the challenging final moments of the medal event at the Chateauroux.
"It was a long-awaited medal for India. I was merely a mode to do it. India deserves many more medals. We are looking forward to (win) as many medals as possible this time. Personally, I find the feeling surreal. I put in a lot of work. I fought until the final shot, using all of my energy. This is a Bronze. Maybe better next time," Manu Bhaker said.
She revealed remembering words from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, throughout the final.
"I've read a lot of Gita. What was going through my thoughts was: just do what you're meant to do. You have no control over how your fate unfolds. In the Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjun, "Focus on karma, not the outcome of karma." That was running through my mind. I thought, 'Do your thing and let it all be,'" Bhaker explained.
"In Tokyo, I was quite disappointed. It took a long time to recover from that. The past is in the past; let us focus on the present. This medal needs continuous teamwork. I'm glad I was a medium to do that."
Bhaker had a heartbreaking experience in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when a gun malfunction ruined her campaign. The jury was made aware of the issue, but instead of replacing the entire gun, they allowed only the defective part to be replaced. Bhaker lost six important minutes during the forced break, resulting in a breakdown of concentration.
- PTC NEWS
