Column | Manu Bhaker back with a bang

It is a universally accepted idiom that the charm of sports lies in its objectivity and unpredictability. In a sporting event, there is never a doubt about the winner or the manner in which this was determined. Unlike in art forms, where there is plenty of subjectivity involved, events under the umbrella of sports tend to be extremely objective. It is never in doubt as to who ran faster or who jumped further or which side scored more goals. Similarly, all disciplines in sports are subject to extreme unpredictability. A world champion may lose in the first round of a championship to a virtual unknown. Unseeded players have won even major championships like Wimbledon. And we all know the instance of India, ranked as absolute underdogs, lifting the cricket World Cup in 1983, after shocking the mighty West Indies. 

Sports is unique in that it also offers a platform for perseverance and comebacks. A sportsperson may lose a game or a bout but lives to fight another day. When the person at the receiving end shakes hands with his opponent at the end of a match, it does not mean the end of the world. There is always the promise that the vanquished will return soon enough to turn the tables on the victor.  And nothing gives a sportsperson greater satisfaction than bouncing back after a setback and getting the better of the adversary on the same stage.

Success in a sporting event hinges on many factors. A substantial portion of that involves the person - the amount of skill and expertise, the wealth of experience and his/her temperament. All these are essential factors in deciding the success or otherwise of an athlete at all levels. But occasionally there are external elements as well. In many events, the condition of ground and weather play a significant role. The support of crowd, or otherwise, may prove to be critical in certain situations. And rarely, one may be confounded by a technical snag in the equipment. The last one, when it happens, is the most frustrating of all obstacles, as not only is this crucial in deciding the fate of the contest but, even more significantly, there is seldom sufficient time to remove the snag and recover from it.

It was one such misfortune that befell Manu Bhaker when she took part in her favourite 10m pistol event at Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Her pistol’s cocking lever broke down when she was taking part in the event, at a juncture when she had 55 minutes left with her to complete 44 shots. She had to go to a designated area to get her pistol checked and repaired and when she returned she was left with only 36 minutes to complete the 44 shots. This was next to impossible and  thought she tried hard she could only finish with a total tally of 575 points, which was marginally below the cut-off point of 577. Thus she had to leave Tokyo without qualifying for the finals in this event. The repercussions of this disappointment were felt in 10 m team and 25 m individual events as well where too she did not go beyond the qualifying stage. 

This was a heartbreaking experience for the young shooter who was making her maiden appearance in Olympic Games. She stood a good chance for making it to the podium but was denied that honour due to circumstances far beyond her control. Besides, there were the snide remarks that it was more a case of Manu “succumbing to pressure” than equipment malfunction. However, the young lady, who was still in her teens decided to take this setback on her chin and went back to the practice boards determined to stage a comeback and make her critics eat their words. She showed her mettle during the Asian Games at Hangzhou in 2022 where India won the gold medal in 25m team event. This performance was repeated in the World Championship at Baku in 2023, when the team improved on their show at Cairo in the previous year, where they had finished at the second place. Thus, Manu took part in all the major events around the world in her discipline, besides practicing hard, thus keeping herself fighting fit when the competitions commenced at Paris 2024.

Manu can look back at her run at Paris with a big smile on her face. She brought tremendous joy and a huge sense of relief to the entire nation by winning the bronze medal in 10m individual event within the first three days of the commencement of the Games. She kept the national flag flying by repeating her good performance in the team event, where she paired with Sarabjot Singh. And though she fumbled at the final stage in 25m individual event, she emerged from the Games with her head held high. When she won the bronze in 10m pistol, it was hailed as the first ever Olympic medal by an Indian woman in shooting. When she won the third place in the mixed team event, it became the first instance of an Indian athlete winning two medals in the same Games. This has elevated her to the level of an icon, capable of inspiring a new breed of youngsters to take up sports and emulate her achievements.

At 22, Manu is still young enough to take part in at least two more editions of Olympic Games. One is certain that she will not only improve her skillsets in the years ahead but also become more adept at handling the pressure cooker situations in major meets. This combination of expertise and experience should make a world beater in this discipline in the years to come. 

Apart from Manu’s twin medals, the only other podium finish for India during the first seven days was by Swapnil Kusale, who bagged a bronze in men’s 50m individual event in shooting. Thus, at the end of the first week, all medals that India has won have come from this event. Incidentally, shooting is  a discipline that had brought India good returns in Olympics in the past also. The names of Abhinav Bindra who won the gold medal in men's 10m air rifle in 2008 and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who bagged a silver in double trap in 2004 immediately spring to mind. In addition to them, there were Vijay Kumar, who won silver medal in 25m rapid fire pistol at the London Olympics in 2012 and Gagan Narang, who finished third in 10m pistol in the same Games. Before the start of Paris 2024, four of India’s total tally of 35 medals came from shooting. 

But despite this success in Olympics and other international arena, shooting as a sport has not caught the imagination of the public in India. Because of the very nature of the sport and the obvious security implications, only very few have access to the equipment used in this event and the ammunition required for this purpose. Further, there is also a shortage of good shooting ranges in the country. A look at the successful sportspersons in this discipline shows that they have either come from the armed forces or possess sufficient financial and other resources to take up this sport and follow it as a passion. Unless active measures are taken by the government and the National Rifle Association of India, which is the official body for conduct of this sport in the country, this situation will not change. And till that happens, this will remain a sport for the elite and the privileged and fail to develop deep roots across the country.

One hopes that the success of Manu will prompt government and the sports body to set up more shooting ranges across the country and support them with resources, including good quality equipment. This will help more youngsters, who have been inspired by the achievements of Manu, to take up this sport and thus create a larger pool of talent within the country. Only through such concerted measures will we be able to bag more medals in international events and match the achievements of countries like USA and China.  

Congratulations to Manu on her exemplary achievements. You have made the entire nation proud. Here is wishing her many more stellar accomplishments in the years to come!

(The author is a former international cricket umpire and a retired bureaucrat)