Goriya is a small village in Jhajjar, Haryana. From 28 July 2024, this entire village now has a new identity. A 22-year-old girl from this village has won a bronze medal in the Olympics, the biggest event in the world of sports. It is understandable if a wrestler, a hockey player or a boxer emerges from Haryana. Haryana has given world champion players to the country in these sports, but if a shooter emerges from Haryana, that too a girl, and wins an Olympic medal, then the story behind it will not be so simple. On top of that, when someone tells that the girl who won the medal in shooting wanted to become a boxer first, then the story becomes more complicated, but this story is absolutely true.

After playing boxing, kabaddi and many other sports, a few years ago Manu decided that she wanted to take up shooting. That day someone in the neighbourhood must have said to Ramkishan - Hey brother Ramkishan, wrestling, boxing and hockey are fine, now why send the girl to shooting? Ramkishan is Manu's father. Whether Ramkishan gave any answer that day or not, he must have decided before Manu that now he will make his daughter do what she wants.

Mother wanted her to become a doctor

There was another twist, Manu's mother wanted her to become a doctor. Her mother was also persuaded. Now amidst so many twists and turns, Manu saw boxer Mary Kom. She was also fighting her own battle. However, when Manu got to know Mary Kom, Mary had won that battle to a great extent. Otherwise, Mary was also asked the question - boxing despite being a girl. After that, when Mary got married, people felt that Mary was no longer a boxer, but a former boxer. Forget about marriage, Mary won the World Championship and an Olympic medal after becoming a mother.

The simple fact is that if any uncle or uncle in the village makes a face, scratches his head and puffs on a hookah and asks you to be a girl in shooting, then you should shout in reply- I also want to become Manu Bhaker. It is important to know two things here. It is Manu Bhaker's medal that has marked India's debut in the 2024 Olympics. Secondly, there were two Olympics since 2012 when India did not get a medal in shooting, Manu has ended that drought as well.

Manu Bhaker missed the last Olympics

Manu Bhaker had earned so much fame and trust by 2020 that medals were expected from her in Tokyo as well. She had won medals in all the major shooting competitions by then. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics had to be postponed for about a year due to Corona. Well, Manu missed it in 2021. She qualified for the finals but finished seventh. After that, a shocking news came that her pistol had been tampered with. Now why get into this mess whether the tampering was done intentionally or unknowingly. But understand the other side of this news. Manu Bhaker was 18 years old then. How would she have motivated herself in these four years from then onwards. Every day when she would go to the shooting range for practice, wouldn't that incident of Tokyo Olympics come to her mind?

Even during the Paris Olympics, during the qualification round on Saturday and the final on Sunday, it must have crossed your mind at least once that what happened in Tokyo might happen again. Keeping yourself away from this thought, backing yourself for four years, maintaining faith in your abilities, all this is not an easy task. 22-year-old Manu has proved it all.

Now many Manu Bhakers will be seen together in the shooting range

Manu Bhaker is an Olympic medalist today because she saw Mary Kom. Saw Mary Kom's challenges. Saw Mary Kom's success. The principle of any sport is very clear. A player finds a way to win. The future generations keep setting milestones on that path. In 2004, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won the silver medal. In 2008, Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal. Abhinav Bindra has written in his book that Rathore's silver medal played a huge role in his gold medal victory. In 2012, Gagan Narang won bronze and Vijay Kumar won silver medal. In 2012, Saina won bronze in badminton and in 2016 and 2020, PV Sindhu won medals.

The biggest star of women in shooting

Every sport needs stars to progress. On 28 July 2024, this country has got the biggest female star in shooting. It is not that women were not in shooting before this. Many women shooters like Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur and Avneet Sidhu had brought glory to the country, but 22-year-old Manu Bhaker has gone one step ahead of them. Now from today, a different version of Manu Bhaker will be seen. Now from today itself, she will start dreaming of changing the color of the medal in the next Olympics. She still has a lot of age. There is no harm in dreaming of changing bronze to silver or gold. Today, thousands or perhaps lakhs of girls going to the shooting range in this country have got the name that will inspire them. From today, one dream will grow in the eyes of all of them - I want to become Manu Bhaker.