Bhagavad Gita Inspired Manu Bhaker's Historic Olympic Victory Bhaker made history by winning the bronze, scoring 221.7, and becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal

The 22-year-old Manu Bhaker, as an integral part of her training, read the Bhagavad Gita a lot. She kept the mantra 'Apna karm karo, phal ki chinta mat karo' in mind while competing in the women's 10m air pistol finals at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Bhaker made history by winning the bronze, scoring 221.7, and becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal.

"I just put all my effort into staying in the moment until the last second, just not giving up and keep trying harder and harder. You have to hold yourself together because that's what all the hard work is for. Although the competition was neck-and-neck and I lost silver by 0.1, I'm still very grateful to win bronze for my country," said Manu Bhaker to the media.

Hailing from a small village in Haryana called Goria, she was invested in and participated in various sports, including boxing, tennis, skating, Huyen Langlon, and Manipuri martial arts from a tender age. She won several medals at the national level. In 2018, she started her shooting journey at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup (ISSF) and won the gold medal twice—becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF.

Following this, she also became a gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games in the women's 10m pistol category in 2018 at the age of 16. She kept making records until her heartbreaking moment at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where she could not qualify due to a technical error with her pistol.

After the Tokyo Olympics 2020, she wished to quit shooting, but her childhood coach, Jaspal Rana, guided her through tough times and made her believe in herself again.

"I think the turning point for me was in 2023 when my coach asked me what I wanted to do in my life and I told him 'I don't know, I'll probably leave shooting in a year or two and maybe go abroad for further studies' or maybe attempt for the Services'. But he told me, 'I think you are one of the best shooters not just in the country but the world so it's you who have to decide what you want to do in life', That motivated me," she said.

Bhaker humbly holds her carelessness responsible for the Tokyo lapse. Adding to this she said, "There were so many lessons there. If I had not learnt from them, this would not have come. Tokyo was a valuable input on the road to Paris. I told myself last night that I would give my best. Dekhi jayegi! Aage Bhagwan dekh lenge (we'll see how it goes; God will take care of the rest)."

Hard Work and Faith in Good Karma

Rana has all praise for the Olympic winner for her hard work and dedication. He said, "There were problems, small problems. They became big because of some people. But Manu and I worked hard to overcome those hurdles. She has put in a lot of hard work. If someone gives me 100% in training, I will give back 200%. Otherwise, I lose interest. Manu has worked very hard and deserves whatever she is getting in return."

While sharing her feelings after winning bronze, Bhaker said, "I was not tense. I read the Bhagavad Gita a lot. And you know the famous advice that Lord Krishna gave to Arjun: 'Apna karm karo, phal ki chinta mat karo' (Just do your work, don't think of the result). So I knew I just had to give my best."

Bhaker believes in good karma, which guides her through life. "After Tokyo, I became religious. But not in a fanatic way. For me, God is some form of energy which guides us through life. It is like an aura around us. I believe in that," she said.