INTERVIEW| I Would love To Court Someone On Top Of Eiffel Tower: Olympian Manu Bhaker

The New Indian’s Executive Editor Rohan Dua converses with Indian Olympian Manu Bhaker, who recently won two bronze medals, ending a 12-year medal drought for India. The interview delves into her experiences and emotions during the competition, particularly how she handled the narrow loss to a South Korean shooter. Manu reflects on the lessons learned from her previous disappointments, especially her experience in the Tokyo Olympics, and discusses the challenges she faced on her journey to success. The interview also touches on her personal life, including her early involvement in sports, the support from her family, and her spiritual inclination, notably her reading of the Bhagavad Gita at a young age. The interview concluded with a light-hearted rapid-fire round, giving insight into Manu’s interests and preferences outside of shooting.

ROHAN DUA: Success, as they say, is not an accident. It’s a sum of hard work, sacrifice, and also love—what you love to do. Joining me is Manu Bhaker, the Olympian, who has conquered the hearts of this country by winning two bronze medals for India. Of course, many congratulations. What a pride that you have for this country, not only as a female athlete but also as someone who has brought laurels, carrying the burden of so many Indians, crores of Indians on your shoulders. I want to understand from you, what was going through your mind when the South Korean shooter edged past you by just 0.1 points.

MANU BHAKER: I think, personally, I was not looking at the monitor, so I was not aware of how much the gap was. I was just trying to do my process, I was just trying to follow my technique and process. Because that’s what gives me the best. So when I saw on the screen that I was in third place and with 0.1. All my groups and my scores were good, and so I was like, I don’t know what to feel. I felt really bad. But then I was like, can’t do anything now

ROHAN DUA: What was crisscrossing your mind at that time?

MANU BHAKER: I was sad. I mean, did not feel very good. But again, can’t change it now.

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ROHAN DUA: No, I mean, of course, the fact that you ended the drought for India of 12 years, it’s not an easy thing to do. And it’s not also very difficult, considering where you came from, having won many, many medals in the process, especially the World Championship. I want to understand from you why did it take India 12 years, and what was going through your mind for those 12 years. What was your target after missing in Tokyo, because, of course, all of us were pinning our hopes on you.

MANU BHAKER: So, I think coming from Tokyo, firstly, I realized the value of a medal. When I missed in Tokyo, I was furious, I was so unhappy with my performance, and I was deeply, deeply disturbed by it. So it took me a while to get back into shooting and to, you know, to get back with the love that I had with the sport. In the sport, it took me a while to overcome all of that. But now, I feel like if it was not for Tokyo, I would not be here today. And Tokyo taught me so many lessons that helped me in the long run and this achievement.

ROHAN DUA: Correct?

MANU BHAKER: So, coming to Paris was not easy for me at all. There were so many falls on the way that I was like, okay, sometimes it was like, no medal, so I would feel sad. And then sometimes I would feel sad that… I do not enjoy shooting anymore. So many challenges I had, but then I was like, okay, just keep going and we will keep going. Even if I go down, I will go down fighting. So that was the spirit

ROHAN DUA: I mean, of course, it may be a real question, awkward to ask you, but since. I mean, ask you this question, not that I mean to demean your medal or your efforts, but then, of course, the photos when they went viral with that of Neeraj, I am not too sure, I mean, whether you look at this as a compliment, but of course, you are one of the most attractive females, beautiful females in India’s history of Olympics or this sport, particularly. Are we right to assume that there was some chemistry, or I mean, it was just that he wanted to snap it as one of the moments in which just someone clicked it?

MANU BHAKER: No, no. It goes back to the year 2018, so we have been meeting in some events or some competitions starting in 2018. So, in 2019 we did a shoot together. So I think it’s like we just talk whenever we meet in any competition or event. And he is one of the best athletes we have in the country. So he is like, for me also, it’s like, okay, we talk and then about experiences, how the match was, so everything like that. So, yeah, it is on the same page.

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ROHAN DUA: No?

MANU BHAKER: No, no.

ROHAN DUA: The resting the hand on your mother’s head as well,  when he was sort of blessing your mother

MANU BHAKER: No, it’s not a blessing, okay, so my mom is also kind of very attached to the athletes because since she… so my journey… and she has been watching everyone closely, so she takes everyone like it’s her child. So after a long time, she met him also in 2019, she met him in the shoots and all, and after that, it was a long time, I think for her, but I was not there.

ROHAN DUA: Reading between the lines, sir?

MANU BHAKER: No, no, I was not there at that time.

ROHAN DUA: Yeah, of course, that’s what is it to pair with someone of Jaspal Rana Ji’s standard, I mean, of course, under whom… almost 10, I believe, senior World Cup medals and also a Commonwealth Games gold. Maybe after that fallout in 2020, what was it to pair together, what brought the two of you again after that small incident,

MANU BHAKER: I think we have a very good understanding, and I have blind trust in him when it comes to shooting, especially because he was a

ROHAN DUA: A blip in 2021, sorry, with that minor

MANU BHAKER: Followers… yeah, that time I think it was miscommunication and misguidance from a few people, but I think I have massive trust, especially when it comes to shooting, and I think that’s what matters the most. So even now, after that rough, we had some time, we took some time and then now we are back on track, so it’s good

ROHAN DUA: Good, of course. Can you just quickly walk me through what was your childhood like? I mean, was it a very conservative childhood that… you had, I mean, of course, that you are living in Haryana, it was easy for you to pick up this sport?

MANU BHAKER: So initially, I never knew that you know, people had an issue with me going into sports and all, being a girl, because later on, I realized that was because I never got to know about all of that. That was because my mom was protecting me from all of that. So it’s a major role from her that she never let any of that come to me and affect me mentally, physically, or anything. So she always protected me from all of that, and she always made me feel like this is normal, this was like, you know, you can do whatever you want, so she made me feel like that.

ROHAN DUA: And  all the time when Haryana Village

MANU BHAKER: In the village, I think it’s not only like the conservative, but it’s also like the people who support you, correct? So some people are like with a conservative kind of mentality, but many people are very liberal also.

ROHAN DUA: So, how did sports happen actually?

MANU BHAKER: So it happened at a very early stage. no, the 14th of shooting happened even before that. I was into, like, athletics, I started with running and all, so I have many, many trophies and medals of Best Athlete of the Year from my school. So I also took part in 100, 200, 400 relay races and everything, and I think back to back, I won many, many years of Best Athlete Awards in my school days. So special it was athletics, and it became boxing for me, I am very passionate about boxing even now today, and I love it, but I have had many injuries on my face like here I have had an injury in my eye also, I got badly injured in my left eye. So many injuries I had with that also, then karate, tennis I was into for a long time, kabaddi I was into for a long time, then shooting I chose.

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ROHAN DUA: In medical, is this going to be at some stage?

MANU BHAKER: Yes, I mean, I do whatever I do with love, and I put all my energy into it.

ROHAN DUA: Easy to?

MANU BHAKER: Customers so

ROHAN DUA: enjoy that. Pursue the sports…

MANU BHAKER: Career in… So that’s also one part. In my studies, I do not like math. I do not like it. I am very bad at it, but in my 10th grade, I had to take tuition classes every day. That was like a nightmare, but I did well.

ROHAN DUA: The message to the world got very bright when you said that at 22, you have read the Gita. Not many people would have this spiritual leaning at such an early age. As well, if at 22 you are reading the Gita, what would you be doing at 32? Writing an autobiography?

MANU BHAKER: Giving lessons. Every time you read, you know, any quote from the Gita or any phrase, you can derive different meanings. Every time you read a shloka, it’s like, “Okay, at this age, if I read something, and five years later, I read the same thing, I think I can derive different meanings.” And it’s very flexible, and you can adopt it in your life.

ROHAN DUA: Let’s quickly wrap up with just a rapid-fire round. Remembering LSR days, was it more fun, or would holidaying in Paris be better?

MANU BHAKER: LSR, I think LSR, because of the few days that I used to go to college, and it was fun.

ROHAN DUA: Faridabad or shift to a bungalow in Delhi?

MANU BHAKER: Hills would be better.

ROHAN DUA: You met Sonia Gandhi, Kiren Rijiju, and Mansukh Mandaviya. Any political hint in these meetings?

MANU BHAKER: No.

ROHAN DUA: What do you do when you are not shooting? Eat, Netflix, or read?

MANU BHAKER: Sorry?

ROHAN DUA: What do you do when you are not shooting or practising for shooting? Eat, Netflix, or read?

MANU BHAKER: Sleep, I would say.

ROHAN DUA: And have you watched Emily in Paris?

MANU BHAKER: Yes, I have. Four seasons only.

ROHAN DUA: Emily in Paris or courting someone on the top of the Eiffel Tower?

MANU BHAKER: Courting someone on the top of the tower.

ROHAN DUA: So that was, of course, speaking to us. Thank you, ma’am, and many congratulations again for the wonderful effort that you have put in for this country. And of course, we all believe that you have many more years of medals to bring to this country. We wish you all the best. Thank you, ma’am.

MANU BHAKER: Thank you, thank you so much.