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What's the story?
One of India's fastest rising stars, Manu Bhaker has set her eyes on Tokyo Olympics 2020 saying that she will give her best at the mega-event as she is genuinely working very hard for it. The 17-year-old is unsure whether she will play in multiple categories for the nation but she has expressed her readiness to take part in all the sections.
The background
Manu Bhaker burst onto the shooting scene after she won the gold medal in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games at Buenos Aires. She finished first in the women's 10m air pistol tournament. Later, she formed a partnership with Saurabh Chaudhary as the Indian duo captured the silver medal in the same event.
The pair of Chaudhary and Bhaker has performed with superb consistency after the Youth Olympic Games as they have won multiple gold medals in the mixed team 10m air pistol event. The Goa-born Bhaker has thus achieved excellence in the women's and the mixed team events of the 10m air pistol category.
The heart of the matter
Talking to IANS on Monday (17th February), Manu Bhaker expressed her opinion on the expectations that the Indian fans have from her. She said,
"What I think is expectation is like people supporting me. Nobody expects (from) you till they support you."
The teenager, who turns 18 this Tuesday, further spoke about her preparations for Tokyo Olympics 2020 and continued,
"I will try my best as I am genuinely working really hard. Rest is not in my hands."
Since she can even play in the 25m pistol events, she was asked if she would prefer to play in multiple events at the Olympics. Bhaker replied,
"I love my sport. Whether it be one, two or even three events. I am not really sure about this whether I will be competing in one, two or three events. The federation (NRAI) has to decide it and the results will be deciding it. I will try to do my best for my country in whatever opportunities I will get."
What's next?
Looking at the recent performances of Manu Bhaker, she is India's best bet to add a gold medal to the Olympics 2020 medal tally in the shooting events at Tokyo Olympics. It will be intriguing to see if she can make history by becoming the first Indian female shooter to do so.
