Hitting the bulls-eye
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 01, 2024 -

AT a time when there is wide spread discontentment and pessimism among the people in the country, the news of Manu Bhaker scripting history at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first Indian athlete, since independence, to win two medals at the same Olympics feels like a breath of fresh air.

Two days after ensuring a place for India in the medal tally by winning a bronze in the individual women's 10m Air Pistol event; the 22-year-old ace shooter from Jhajjar, Haryana joined force with her 22-year-old compatriot Sarabjot Singh, also from Haryana's Ambala district, in displaying a thrilling performance at the Chateauroux shooting range on Tuesday to clinch the country's second bronze medal in 10 metre Air Pistol Mixed Team match on Day 4 of the 33rd edition of the quadrennial sporting spectacle.

In the intense match for the bronze medal, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh scored a combined total of 580 points with 20 perfect shots to triumph over the Korean pair of Xue Li and Wonho Lee, who finished just behind with 579 points and 18 perfect shots.

So, this was a hard-earned success for the two young Indian shooters and they very well deserve all applauds they are receiving today not only from within the country but also from around the world.

Apart from the fact this was the sixth Olympic medal for India in shooting and the first ever in a shooting team event, the enviable performance shown by both Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh in the Olympics this time is going to give a big boost to the sporting discipline of shooting in an otherwise cricket-crazy India like never before.

It is an indication of the right direction to which India's Olympic campaign is moving.

While everyone is talking about the remarkable second bronze medal winning feat, which has certainly put Manu Bhaker in a league of her own among Indian Olympians and made her the first Indian athlete, since independence, to win two medals at the same Olympics; we feel that it is even more significant for Sarabjot Singh as this is the first Olympic medal for the son of a farmer.

By saying so, we are not trying to undermine the achievement of Manti Bhaker - the rigorous training and perseverance she has demonstrated to string back to life after her heart-breaking exit from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

But just pointing out the fact that unlike Manu Bhaker, who came from an affluent family of a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy and has always enjoyed unwavering support of her family and coaches; Sarabjot Singh hails from a typical family of a farmer, who knew shooting is an expensive sport but had to give in to his son's demands and allowed him to pursue his interest.

It was not without reason that Sarabjot Singh found comfortable in describing himself as a "hobby shooter" until he came in the limelight after winning a streak of medals in Khelo India events.

Let's also not forget the fact that Sarabjot Singh was a standby to Saurabh Chaudhary, another rare talent in Indian pistol shooting.

In 2019, after Saurabh Chaudhary swept the field at the Youth Olympics, World Junior Championships and ISSF junior World Cups, the young shooter from Ambala was chosen to replace him in the junior team.

So, the journey of Sarabjot Singh to the podium of Paris 2024 Olympics even if it was for accepting the bronze medal has been simply awe inspiring.

Well, speaking of inspiration, people in the strife-torn Manipur can also be proud of the fact that their traditional martial art form "Thang-Ta" has been very much a part of the history creating sporting journey of Manu Bhaker as she was a 'Thang Ta' player of repute winning many medals at the national level before she impulsively decided to try her hand at shooting.