Watch: Manu Bhaker marks Independence Day with violin tribute to the national anthem
Olympic medalist
Manu Bhaker
commemorated India's 79th
Independence Day
by sharing a video of herself playing the
national anthem
on violin through her Instagram account. The shooter expressed her desire to stand on the podium while listening to the national anthem whenever she represents India.
"An attempt to play the tune that is closest to my heart this Independence Day. Each time I represent India, I wish to stand on the podium and listen to this. Generally, we sit and play the violin, but this time subconsciously, we stood up while playing the National Anthem. It's the admiration for our nation that cannot be put into words. Jai Hind!" Bhaker wrote in her Instagram post.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
At the Paris Olympics last year, Bhaker created history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, securing bronze in the women's individual 10m air pistol event.
She followed this achievement with another bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh, marking India's first-ever shooting team medal at the Olympics.
Bhaker narrowly missed a third Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the women's 25m pistol shooting event, which could have made her the first Indian to win three medals at a single Olympics.
Her success in Paris came after a disappointing campaign at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where technical issues with her gun during the 10m air pistol qualification round cost her valuable time.
She finished 12th, missing the top-eight qualification for the finals.
Poll
How do you feel about Manu Bhaker's tribute to India on Independence Day?
Inspiring
Heartwarming
Proud
Neutral
In Tokyo, she also finished 15th in the 25-metre pistol event and seventh overall in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Bhaker's achievements extend beyond the Olympics. She won gold in the 25m pistol team event at the 2023 Baku Shooting World Championships and silver in the same category at the 2022 edition.
She claimed gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in the 10m air pistol category and secured the 25m pistol team gold at the 2023
Asian Games
in Hangzhou.
Her impressive record includes 20 medals in International Shooting Sport Federation World Cups, comprising 13 gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.
Additionally, Bhaker has earned four gold medals, one silver, and two bronze medals in Asian Championships among other accomplishments.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Sorry state of affairs: Cadet judokas to miss World Championships
CHENNAI: Indian judokas, especially those competing in the cadet category, continue to suffer as they may be forced to miss the World Championships scheduled in Sofia, Bulgaria from August 27 to 30. The athletes in this category missed three international tournaments last year and the upcoming World Championship will be their fourth and the biggest miss. Notably, the Judo Federation of India (JFI) has been governed by an administrator appointed by the Delhi High Court since June 2022. The latest heartbreak in the series of misses for cadet judokas meant most of them would now be unable to compete in the next World Championships as they will turn 18 by the time the 2026 edition would be held. It was learnt that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) didn't sanction the tour citing selection policy which makes it mandatory for every national sports federation to hold selection trials to pick a team for an international tournament. The JFI selected judokas, who won medals at the Taipei Cadets Asian Cup held last month for the Worlds, but the SAI didn't approve the list and in turn directed the federation to hold trials. Interestingly, the JFI held ranking trials for the Asian Cadets Championships scheduled in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 11 and 12 last week but chose the judokas for the Worlds on the basis of their performances at the Taipei event. There were many judokas who won medals in Taipei and also the ranking trials and one among them is Rahi Ghelani. She won a gold medal each in the Tashkent Asian Cup held in May, Taipei Asian Cup and the ranking trials in the -44kg weight category and could be a medal contender at the World Championships if given an opportunity. Linthoi Chanambam created history in 2022 when she won a -57kg gold at the Cadet World Championships and became the first from the country to win a medal at the event across age groups. Next year, Oliviya Devi Huidrom clinched -44kg bronze at the event and Rahi could have continued the legacy in the 2025 edition. Incidentally, Rahi is from Bhavnagar in Gujarat and the union sports minister also hails from the same district. Besides, these cadet judokas will graduate to senior level by the time India gets ready to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics if their respective bids come to fruition.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Isaiah Bond's earlier lawsuit says accuser demanded $5K after 'pursuing and preying' on him for months
(AP Photo/George Walker IV) Isaiah Bond's NFL career hasn't even started yet, and he's already been through the kind of headline storm most players hope to avoid forever. Days after a Texas grand jury cleared him of sexual assault charges, the rookie wide receiver isn't just walking away quietly, he's telling his side of the story. In a federal complaint, Bond says he was 'pursued and preyed upon for months' by a woman he met on Instagram , and that she demanded $5,000 before taking her allegations to the police. Isaiah Bond's federal complaint claims he was the target, not the aggressor According to Bond's filing, things started online, with months of messages from the woman who would later accuse him. The two eventually met in person on February 4 at his apartment, where Bond says they had a consensual sexual encounter. Not long after, she allegedly warned him to 'be careful not to catch a case.' That's not where it ended, Bond claims she then demanded $5,000 in cash before going to the police. In his version of events, this was never about justice, but about money and leverage. Bond's legal battle escalated in April, when a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in, posting a $25,000 bond to walk free. But the criminal case never reached trial. In August, a Collin County grand jury issued what's known as a 'no bill,' meaning they found no probable cause to indict him. For Bond, that was the green light to move forward without a legal cloud hanging overhead. Cleveland Browns bring Isaiah Bond in despite the noise The Cleveland Browns wasted no time. Just days after the grand jury's decision, Bond announced he was signing with the team as an undrafted free agent. Predictably, the internet had thoughts. Some fans welcomed him as a fresh talent who deserved a chance, while others weren't ready to forget the accusations, regardless of the legal outcome. One Browns fan podcast even jumped in, saying people should cool it with the hate, reminding everyone that Bond had filed his own complaint and wasn't just on defense. Cases like this hit differently in sports. Big names often face accusations that play out publicly before they ever reach a courtroom, and by then, the public has already decided who's guilty or innocent. Bond's decision to go on offense with a federal filing is rare, but it shows he's not willing to let the narrative roll over him. For now, the criminal matter is closed but the court of public opinion? That's still wide open. Also read - Travis Hunter divorce rumors spark fan backlash at social media's obsession Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rajeev Ram reflects on his unique journey, tennis success, thoughts on doubles and mentoring young talent.
For Indian tennis fans, Rajeev Ram at once seems a close cousin and a distant relative. The 41-year-old's parents were from India and his biggest doubles successes — Australian Open 2020 and a hat-trick of US Opens from 2021 to 2023 — have resonated in the sub-continent. But he is also proudly American, and is mentoring the next generation there. He sat courtside as fellow Indian-American Nishesh Basavareddy, then 19, took on Novak Djokovic in the first-round of the 2025 Australian Open. Incidentally, Rajeev and Venus Williams beat Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in a close semifinal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Rajeev [with Joe Salisbury] also overcame Bopanna [and Matthew Ebden] in the 2023 US Open final. The six-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic medallist spoke to The Hindu on his tennis journey, the state of doubles, the mixed doubles rejig at the upcoming US Open and more. Excerpts: ALSO READ | Open and shut case: Jaiswal and Rahul making headway as a partnership at the top How do you assess your year so far? In professional sport, it's a lot of up and down. My results this year haven't been what I've gotten used to over the last few years. But I'm 41 and have been very fortunate to have played at a pretty high level for the better part of 20 years. So, I'm taking it in my stride. The US Open is my favourite tournament, so I am really looking forward [to it]. What has kept you going for so long? I played singles as a priority until 2017. We, as tennis players, begin with aspirations to play at the top level in singles. I'm very proud of the fact that I became a top-60 player and won two titles on the Tour. My doubles-only career started in 2017, and even though it was much after I turned pro, it still was fresh when Joe and I won the Australian Open in 2020. It's a lot about attitude. The thing that's always been important is consistently trying to improve. If you have that attitude, you can sometimes take even losses as a positive. As heartbreaking as some of them are, sometimes they're the biggest motivators. I used them as fire and fuel. I've actually had to be more aware of myself when I've been winning a lot because you get a little bit satisfied. How has the doubles game evolved? It's changed a lot. When I started, players, especially those who transitioned from singles, would try to develop their net game a bit more. In the last three or four years, I've seen a big shift where that's really not the case. Most teams now have at least one player who serves and stays back all the time. There's more comfort from the baseline. A lot of the players don't really worry about serving and volleying anymore. From the returner's perspective, it's a lot more about pace, being aggressive and trying to get a hold on the point straight away. Whereas, when I started playing, there was a little bit more feel, more finesse. Doubles is very entertaining and popular as a recreational sport. But it doesn't get good broadcast slots or matches on the show courts, especially in the first week of a Major. Are these hindering the growth? Absolutely. Anything that is put on the back-burner in terms of promotion and marketing is going to be treated that way by people who watch it. I'm not saying by any stretch that it needs to be at the same level as singles. But there are definitely stories that could be marketed a lot more. Like Rohan having so much success at such a late age [World No. 1 and 2024 Australian Open title]. Croatia's Mate Pavic won the French Open last year and completed the career Golden Slam [along with Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold]. But I don't think it got the push that a truly rare achievement in our sport should have got. Next is to highlight the partnerships. There could be quite a bit more of that, just to get to know the players at the personal level. ALSO READ | Sai Sudharsan: 'It was clear that we were in England to create history' In such a scenario, how does the move by the US Open to completely transform its mixed doubles feel? It is being played in the week before the Slam and has more singles players than doubles. It's two parts for me. I applaud their idea to innovate. As much as doubles was on the back-burner, mixed doubles was behind even more. So putting it in its own week, with fanfare, is great. Tennis could use mixed doubles as the flag-bearer, as men and women play men and women for Olympic medals and Grand Slam titles. But they [US Open] made it such that doubles players couldn't even enter. You can't unless you have a singles ranking. That's where I feel opposed. They should [have] just let everybody enter. A lot of the players that got in from singles would have still gotten in. It would have been a bit more legitimate to give a Grand Slam trophy for. If you were in a position of power, what would you do to increase traction for doubles? I mentioned Rohan winning so late. Joe and I won three US Opens on the trot. So the stories are there. They just need to be told. Secondly, social media is such a big part of our world. We have exciting points happening every day. They don't need to be necessarily in the main stadiums or even on TV. If we could do a better job of showcasing them, people would be drawn to the game. Most of those who are watching are doubles players themselves and they can have a little bit of a relationship there. The third thing is to just tell the story of the partnerships. Joe and I played together for six years. We can do a little bit more of getting outside tennis and highlighting the personalities. ALSO READ | Injuries are a part of cricket; injury substitutes are unnecessary You have been mentoring Nishesh, among the brightest talents to emerge from the United States. What do you think India can do to develop such a player? I wish there was some magic recipe. Nishesh and I… our relationship is unique. Of all the places in the US, he moved to the little town that I'm from [Carmel, Indiana]. We have the same coach, Bryan Smith, and I have to give him a lot of credit. He not only teaches us to be good tennis players but also teaches us to give back to the next group. It was always something I was going to do for him [Nishesh] and a few others. Also, coming from the exact same background as I have, an America-born kid with Indian heritage… a lot of pieces came together. What India can do… I think it is very important for a player to feel that he or she is not alone and not feel like they have to reach a certain level for it to be successful. Just the effort of trying to be the best you can be is success in itself. I was really lucky that my dad had the foresight to realise that in the US, sports can actually open doors. I would have never gone to the colleges that I went to if I wasn't a tennis player. So, maybe, just a slight shift in mentality for what it really means to be a high-level athlete and what success really is [can help India].
