Paris Olympics 2024: EXCLUSIVE | ‘Likhke le loh’: Manu Bhaker’s uncle hopeful for gold in women’s 25m pistol

"Phatte chak dunga" (I will go all out) is what Sarabjot Singh told assistant coach Gaurav Saini before heading to Paris for his dream Olympic debut. True to his word, Sarabjot lived up to his promise, as is typical of him.

"Jaate time usne mujhse kaha tha ki main medal leke hi aayunga, chaahe jo hojaye. Practice ke dauraan, kahi dino pehle baat huya tha, toh bol raha tha phatte chak dunga. Aur usne aaj woh kar dikhaya (Before leaving for Paris, he told me he would do everything to win a medal. Days ago, during his practice at the range there, he again told me he would go all out for a podium finish. He kept his word)," an ecstatic Saini told Mid-Day minutes after he added a second medal to India's tally on Tuesday.

For someone who had to navigate rough seas with a ninth-place finish in the men's 10m air pistol just three days ago, the aforementioned Punjabi phrase could not be more accurate!

Teaming up with the equally unruffled Manu Bhaker, Singh edged out the Korean duo of Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10, giving India a reason to cheer twice in three days by securing a second bronze medal in shooting and overall.

"Puri umeed thi. Woh kabhi khaali haath nahi aata. Kahi bhi match khelne gaya hoga, national ho ya international, hamesha medal ke saath hi lauta hain (We had high hopes for him. He has never come empty-handed, be it any national or international event, and he has always won a medal)," he added.

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Singh's expression bore a trace of regret after he scored a disappointing 8.6 in the opening round. Bhaker's 10.2 brought their combined total to 18.8, while the Korean pair, by contrast, accumulated 20.5 points to establish a 2-0 lead. However, it was the test of Bhaker and Singh's nerves in the subsequent shots that would determine the bronze medal winner.

From this, there was no backing down. Despite trailing 0-2, Bhaker's consistency was highlighted by her ability to maintain a high standard throughout, evident from the way she registered no more than three shots below 10 in the 13-round battle. Such was her level of confidence that it also had a bearing on Singh. Together, they had the final four rounds under their thumb, bringing their score to 8-2. Korea, under mounting pressure, struggled to keep pace and ultimately fell short, succumbing to Bhaker-Singh's relentless form and losing 16-10.

"Khushi ki mahaul hain yaha. Academy ke saare bachhe khushi se naach rahe hain, Sarabjot ke pitaji bhi humare saath yaha the abhi, hum sab ab gaon ja rahe hain kyunki woha mukhyamantri ji aane waale hain (People are dancing and revelling in the festive spirit. The children from the Academy are dancing energetically in joy. His father was with me a while ago, we are all leaving for the village now. The Chief Minister is about to arrive)," he said.

Celebrations are equally in full swing about 140 miles away from Sarabjot's Dheen village in Ambala. With a battery of mediapersons at home, the Bhakers were busy attending to the guests and receiving congratulatory calls from several dignitaries. The atmosphere appeared electric, especially at the Universal Senior Secondary School, where Manu honed her skills as a child.

Uncle Mahendar Bhaker said he was always confident that Manu would win India more than one medal in Paris.

"Bahut khush hain hum sab yaha, yaha toh utsav hain. Itne zyada log aaye huye hain. Laddoo, rasgulla, barfi sab baant rahe hain yaha. Hum sab gulaal se khel rahe hain. Ram Kishan ji se abhi tak baat nahi ho paya, woh busy aa rahe hain phone pe. Match ke pehle baat huya tha humara. Woh dono confident the aaj ke event ke liye. (We are very happy. The festive spirit is palpable, everyone has come together to celebrate. They have been distributing sweets and dancing to the beat of drums. I haven't spoken with Ram Kishan (Manu's father), it says busy. We spoke before the match, and they both seemed very confident about the medal)," he said over the phone.

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When Mid-Day asked if he wanted Manu to change the colour of the medal in the women's 25m pistol event, an ecstatic Mahendar said: "Usme gold aayega ji. Uska favourite game hain, toh 25m mein koi medal nahi chhorna hain, bass yeh Olympic medal baaki reh gayi, woh bhi laayegi. Gold aayega, aap likhke le loh, 100 per cent gold aayega (She will win gold. It is her favourite event, so she will not want to lose any opportunity right now, an Olympic medal in the 25m pistol is the only thing remaining now. I can give it to you in writing, gold is surely coming)."