Paris Olympics double medallist Manu Bhaker extended her gratitude to fans, coaches, and the sporting fraternity after being honoured at a special Indian Olympic Association (IOA) felicitation ceremony held at the Taj Mansingh Hotel in New Delhi on Monday.
“That feeling is really, really good. When you work hard and people recognize that you have achieved something, it feels great. It also serves as a strong motivation,” Bhaker told IANS, who returned from Paris 2024 with two bronze medals - one in the women’s 10m air pistol event and another in the mixed team category alongside Sarabjot Singh.
Manu first received Rs 50 lakh for her bronze medal in the individual 10m air pistol event, followed by another Rs 25 lakh as her share of the Rs 50 lakh prize jointly awarded to her and Sarabjot Singh for securing third place in the mixed 10m air pistol team event.
The ceremony, attended by IOA President P.T. Usha, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, senior government officials, sponsors, and members of the sporting community, was a celebration of India’s medal-winning athletes who made the nation proud with their performances at the Paris Games.
The IOA presented cash awards to all medallists and their coaches in recognition of their achievements and contributions to India’s success. Neeraj Chopra received Rs 75 lakh, Manu Bhaker Rs 50 lakh and Rs 37.5 lakh for her two medals, Sarabjot Singh Rs 37.5 lakh, Swapnil Kusale and Aman Sehrawat Rs 50 lakh each, and the men’s hockey team Rs 10 lakh (main squad) and Rs 5 lakh (reserve players).
Among those speaking at the event, Olympic medallist Sarabjot Singh reflected on his renewed focus after Paris, emphasising the mental aspect of performance. “I am focusing a lot on mental training, including yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises,” he said. “I want to strengthen my mental health more than ever before.”