The two-time Olympic medalist Indian shooter Manu Bhaker showcased her dancing skills during the felicitation ceremony at Velammal Nexus School in Chennai on Tuesday, August 20.
Manu Bhaker became an overnight sensation when she clinched two bronze medals in women's 10m air pistol and the mixed team 10m air pistol with fellow Indian shooter Sarabjot Singh at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024. The 22-year-old scripted history by becoming the first Indian athletes to win two medals at the Summer Games.
Additionally, Bhaker joined Sushil Kumar, PV Sindhu and Neeraj Chopra in the elusive list of athletes from independent India to win two medals at the Olympics.
Manu Bhaker was invited to Chennai school, where she was felicitated by principal and teachers. Then, she had a interaction with the students. Amid the felicitation ceremony, Bhaker was joined by few students and danced to the tunes of 'Kala Chasma' from the movie Baar Baar Dekho. The video of the same went viral on social media.
Winning two Olympic medals at the Paris Olympics was really big thing for Manu Bhaker, given that what she had to go through in the Tokyo Olympics 2021. In her Olympic debut in Tokyo, the youngster suffered a setback as her pistol got abruptly malfuntcioned during the qualification round of the women's 10m air pistol event.
Due to a technical snag, she lost six precious minutes, putting her under immense pressure during the qualification round. Consequently, Bhaker could only muster 575 points from 60 shots and failed to qualify for the final.
Bhaker also participated in the women's 25m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol events but did not win medals in either event.
'Sports life is a beautiful life': Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker has called for students to take up sports as their career options while emphasising the importance of working hard and dreaming big. She added that sports receive all the financial support that it required from the government and various sports organizations.
"If you can dream big, you can achieve big. So, always start by dreaming big. I always tell myself that no matter if I win or lose in any competition, I’ll always be very confident and hold myself high and together, and be very confident." Bhaker said at Velammal Nexus School in Chennai.
"We have many career options. You don’t have to become a doctor or an engineer. Sports life is a beautiful life. From financial support to any kind of it, you get everything in sports,” she added.
