NDTV Yuva Conclave: One Person Manu Bhaker Would Like To Switch Her Life With? Olympic Medallist's Response Is Bold

19.09.2024 - 13:13 sports.ndtv.com

Star Indian shooter Manu Bhaker is a trailblazer in many ways. After India's independence, Manu is the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics.

She is also the first female shooter to win an Olympic medal. On Thursday, Manu was one of the guests at NDTV Yuva Conclave where the pistol shooter talked on her journey leading up to the Paris Olympics 2024 and the adulation that she received after winning two bronze medals.

The 22-year-old Bhaker scripted history for India in Paris Olympics as she won a bronze each in the women's 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team events (paired with Sarabjot Singh).

When asked if she would like to switch her life with one athlete for a day, Manu came up with a bold response. "Honestly I would not like to switch my life with anybody at all.

Sporting shooting athletics Olympics 2024 STARS UPS Paris Olympics Manu Bhaker India

IOA chief PT Usha slammed former wrestler Vinesh Phogat for blaming the association for her disqualification from the Paris Olympics, saying, "the wrestler's team is accountable, not the IOA". Vinesh, who joined politics soon after her retirement following her Olympics disqualification, won her debut political bout, getting elected from Julana seat in the Haryana Assembly elections on Tuesday. She secured a total of 65,080 votes to defeat her BJP rival, professional pilot Yogesh Bairagi. Following the news of Vinesh's victory, Usha revealed her thoughts on the wrestler's criticism of IOA for their role in her disqualification at the Paris Olympics.

Olympic Medal Gets Worn Out In Just Weeks, India Hockey Star Hardik Singh Says: "They Had One Job..."

The Indian hockey team has been on a slow but steady rise since winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games. At the 2024 Paris Olympics too, India played brilliantly till the semi-finals but faltered in the last four stage. However, India rose to the challenge in the bronze medal match to beat Spain 2-1. In the recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy, they won the gold medal, beating China in the final. If the Indian hockey team continues in the same vein, a gold medal at the Olympics may be a reality too at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Olympic Medal Gets Worn Out In Just Weeks, India Hockey Star Hardik Singh Says: "They Had One Job..."

PT Usha Accused Of Spreading "Blatant Lies" On Olympic Medallists' Felicitation By IOA Treasurer Sahdev Yadav

Indian Olympic Association Treasurer Sahdev Yadav on Tuesday hit back at president PT Usha for claiming that IOA Executive Committee members were not agreeing on a proposal to felicitate Paris Olympics medal-winners, saying her assertion is a "blatant lie". Usha on Monday said that it was "deeply concerning" that the EC members failed to honour Olympic medallists and accused the Finance Committee of blocking funds intended to support Indian athletes' preparation for the Paris Games.

"Mother Wanted To Send Me To Kota": Manu Bhaker Tells NDTV Why She Changed Career Decision

Double Paris Olympics medalist Manu Bhaker has revealed that her mother wanted to send her to Kota for education, before the coach at her first shooting range convinced them to wait one year and support her shooting career. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Manu also shared the origin story of her introduction to shooting, and that the sport had been introduced to her while she was bunking a class in school. The 22-year-old also opened up on her next goals and her process.

"Complete Disregard For...": PT Usha Hits Out At IOA Executive Committee For Not Felicitating Paris Olympics Medalists

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha on Monday said it is "deeply concerning" that the Executive Committee members failed to honour Olympic medallists and accused the Finance Committee of blocking funds intended to support Indian athletes' preparation for the Paris Games. India secured six medals, including two historic bronze by young shooter Manu Bhaker, but Usha said the "EC does not want to celebrate their success" and it makes her "very sad." "These athletes have made the nation proud, and it is the responsibility of the IOA to celebrate their achievements with the respect they deserve. It is deeply concerning that, even after returning home in mid-August, the EC has failed to discuss or take any steps towards organizing a formal felicitation ceremony," she said in a statement.