Paris Olympics: A study in contrasts, Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot Singh make magic on the shooting range

South Koreans Lee Wonho and Oh ye Jin, whom they faced at the shooting ranges of Chateauroux on Tuesday, had done well in the 10m air pistol individual men’s and women’s categories, finishing 4th and 1st respectively just two days ago. But the Indian duo was better than the sum of its parts.

They appeared casual, standing on the shooting line with one hand in their pockets. But their faces told a different story: as they came close to the finish line with every shot, they were gripped by anxiety and nerves.

But unlike in the past when the best-laid plans went pear-shaped at critical moments, Manu and Sarabjot summoned their best shots under immense pressure, and recovered from a poor start, to land India’s second medal, another bronze, of the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Bronze medallists Manu Bhaker of India and Sarabjot Singh (R) of India wave (Reuters)

For Manu, it was the second bronze in her kitty, making her the first athlete in independent India to win two medals at the same Olympics. For Sarabjot, who choked up last Saturday, this was a remarkable turnaround after missing the individual final by a margin invisible to the naked eye.

At that moment, he felt as if his world had collapsed. The 2024 Olympics, after all, was the only goal he had been working towards ever since he started shooting as a 14-year-old.

“I didn’t want World Cups. I didn’t want any other titles. I just wanted an Olympic medal. For eight years, I had set my sight on these Olympics. Ek aag hai andar (there’s a fire inside me),” he had told The Indian Express before leaving for Paris.

R to L, India’s Sarabjot Singh uses his phone to take a selfie with teammate Manu Bhaker, Serbia’s Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic, and Turkey’s Yususf Dikec and Savval Ilayda Tarhan after the medal ceremony of the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (AP | PTI)

What started as a hobby had turned into a full-blown obsession, as Sarabjot surrounded himself with various Olympic symbols. The wallpaper on his phone, at one point, depicted the Olympic medals. The gaming console at his home in Ambala had a similar vibe and the machine’s LED lights were customised to resemble the colours of the Olympic rings.

“I placed everything very strategically. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was an Olympic medal. It helped me build confidence, and reminded me of my goal every day. This was very important for me,” Sarabjot said. The motifs and signages were a constant reminder of the hard work he had to put into his craft to achieve the success he dreamt of.

Opposites come together

Manu isn’t as obsessive as Sarabjot. She dives into one of her many other hobbies the moment she leaves the range; horse- riding one day, sketching on another. These days, it’s playing the violin.

One thing binds the two — their uncluttered, uncomplicated minds. Neither delve too deep into the jargon and intricacies of their sport and prefer to keep it simple. “It’s a basic sport. People go so deep into it that they end up spoiling their game,” Sarabjot said. “Essentially, it’s three things — sight, trigger, follow-through.”

It’s a philosophy Manu subscribes to as well. Maybe that’s what got them over the line against the South Koreans who were favourites to finish on the podium.

Paris Olympics: Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh claimed the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed event.

Their path to the podium, however, was littered with many anxious moments. Sarabjot was slow off the blocks, starting with a poor score of 8.6 and staying in the range of low 10s or below.

During that period, Manu covered for her teammate. Her nerveless display kept India alive and ahead. But when they just had to take a few tiny steps, Manu seemed to have got stage- fright.

India’s Mongolian pistol coach, Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, called for a time-out and stood next to Manu, calming her down. She then walked up to Sarabjot and reminded him to breathe, got him to stretch his fingers on the shooting hand to relax his tense muscles and turned to the travelling Indian fans in the stands to make some noise.

Her timely intervention worked, and — after a brief Korean comeback — India crossed the line with ease, winning the playoff 16-10. To underline how well they worked as a team, in the final series, when Manu didn’t shoot her best score (managing a 9.4), it was Sarabjot who covered for her. Just days after he was on the wrong end of the decimals, Sarabjot had made amends.

It won’t be tough to find Sarabjot when he returns to India: at a racing track. He has rented fast cars and frequents the circuit at Greater Noida. Now, the shooter plans to get one for himself. “Ekdum tez waali, one that will go from 0 to 100 in 3-4 seconds.”

Manu won’t celebrate yet. She has a chance to make more history when she returns to these ranges later this week. For her, it’s two down and one more to go.