From Olympic Medals to Young India Country Award: Manu Bhaker’s inspiring journey in pictures

Yellow Star Yellow Star by aLIVIA mUKHERJEE

Meet Manu Bhaker

[{"selector":"#anim-aa903723-1ec1-4be3-9707-60e07ba75a37","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-74fdb452-3326-4b57-9331-64aee605871a","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e0d9234-286f-4d7b-ad68-426f17844bcf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-111.81818%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d3058e1-d9f7-4b84-907e-b5a8736a971c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-475fb5b6-ecda-4d37-bad6-9e2d3e5828c5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star Haryana’s shooting prodigy whose talent turned global. From Olympic podiums to national honours, her story celebrates Young India’s spirit.

Early Life

[{"selector":"#anim-2027ec9a-2da9-4099-a8fa-9d2e7c87439c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-109.68661%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3c7e7fa0-8806-449d-b1b6-892419a600b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ae65c45-352c-4e58-b948-8f3d075fcd46","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star Born in 2002 in Jhajjar, Haryana, Manu discovered shooting at age 14, showing exceptional talent early on.

National Breakthrough

[{"selector":"#anim-0efb71e8-506c-47d9-bddf-1fed378d9df6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.79935%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46b8cf32-971c-42b0-9ba0-86a9ae219379","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b61785be-a266-419a-9852-763d96268758","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

International Debut & Youth Olympic Gold

[{"selector":"#anim-cf3358bc-6495-417a-b54d-424b5a9c8c9a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.39563%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57e3f937-c5b5-49f1-9ca3-d7f77a9a428d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-791f90e7-7bcd-43ae-bfeb-edd71f4505a9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star Shop the Items 2018 ISSF World Cup (Guadalajara): Became India’s youngest World Cup gold medalist at 16. 2018 Youth Olympics (Buenos Aires): Won India’s first Youth Olympic gold in shooting (10m air pistol).

Tokyo Olympics 2020

[{"selector":"#anim-a460b36d-b5f2-483c-9c8e-1db12328a8e5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.33547%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ef73ab3-9b32-412a-afdb-807c45d53e1c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c41efce4-1c0c-492f-b325-141cb5b79286","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star Represented India at the Tokyo Olympics, gaining international experience and inspiring millions despite narrowly missing a medal.

Asian & Commonwealth Games Success

[{"selector":"#anim-5c1df17a-2aa8-472d-a89a-fe2875c55f7f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.51104%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d27063d4-dc43-480b-8bec-80a034bd9451","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a4447099-41e7-4fb7-8ecf-980e53a2efce","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] 2022 Commonwealth Games: Gold in 10m air pistol team. 2022 Asian Games (Hangzhou): Gold (25m pistol team), Silver (10m air pistol team), Bronze (25m individual).

Paris 2024 Olympics

[{"selector":"#anim-953615ce-708d-4b69-89fe-fc4262ab88bd","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-74cacc4a-62c3-4fe7-ac87-13d27626f769","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-aba675b7-7d6a-4368-888c-73bbdf207361","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(123.71134%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66c770dc-b37c-4cb6-bd26-bca1e8496508","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7df287c-c281-48bc-a805-8bf25d345962","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star

Awards & Recognition

[{"selector":"#anim-8aa7e4c2-645e-4de1-935c-c189875bb318","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.40616%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f3391f81-d571-4f8f-afac-36cb3368940e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5e1d3597-3ba8-4b3b-8aeb-f963df2976a7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star

Received the Young India Country Award 2025 for exceptional achievements in sports, presented by Piyush Goyal, minister of commerce and industry and former CJI Dr. DY Chandrachud.

[{"selector":"#anim-a778515c-29fa-498f-a33e-98679680ad62","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0cef991-fdd9-4bc1-a360-fc47b09b7101","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a2f17fc-51f4-476c-a743-e8c7ed08c947","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Young India Country Award 2025

Bhaker's Message

[{"selector":"#anim-14d4a2a1-95d9-4bbd-8724-4cd51a0e6b0d","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef8edbd6-9179-4af3-a0d2-ba05c3dc34df","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-4f21c080-bd0f-4b27-be3d-1214c84ff14a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.93189%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-146ef3e2-4846-4e00-9718-2c0f3f9a7e00","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d56d508-9cfa-42e0-9e3d-967fab0bfb47","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Yellow Star Yellow Star SHOP THE ITEMS "Receiving Young India Country Award 2025 means a lot to me. It gives me inspiration and motivation to work even harder," said Manu Bhaker after receiving the award.