Rahul Dravid’s reaction to Manu Bhaker winning the Olympic medal is pure gold

Cricket legend Rahul Dravid, who knows a thing or two about handling pressure and meeting expectations, on Sunday praised Manu Bhaker for the way she overcame a forgettable match in her first Olympics to win a historic bronze in this edition of the Games . Bhaker became the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal when she finished third in the 10m air pistol event, an achievement that opened the country’s account in the ongoing Games and ended a 12-year wait for its shooters.

Dravid was very pleased with the 22-year-old’s achievement.

“Manu’s story is incredible after the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics. To come here and be able to overcome this, compete and win bronze is a phenomenal achievement,” Dravid said during a panel discussion at India House.

“It’s beautiful to arrive on a special day for Indian sport. This type of achievement requires years of sacrifice, requires a lot of hard work, resilience and perseverance.

“We know how difficult it is for a sportsperson and what he goes through and a lot depends only on these days,” Dravid said about the athletes competing in the biggest sporting event in the world.

A pistol malfunction during qualification for the Tokyo Olympics left Bhaker discouraged, but three years later, she got what she wanted.

Dravid added: “In many of their lives, I can imagine the pressure that surrounds all these sports because this is the pinnacle of their sports. a great day for Indian sports. What an inspiring story for so many at home.

Bhaker, 22, from Jhajjar in Haryana, fought hard to get bronze with a score of 221.7 here. Korea’s Kim Yeji won silver with a total of 241.3, while her compatriot Jin Ye Oh won gold with a Games record of 243.2.

One of the best batsmen in the game, Dravid recently oversaw India’s T20 World Cup title win as the team’s head coach, after which he passed the baton to his former national team teammate Gautam Gambhir.

He is in the French capital to participate in a panel discussion on the topic “Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era”, celebrating the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

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