Manu Bhaker who has created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic tournament, is an alumna of the Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College. Along with being an ace shooter, she also holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science (Hons).

In a special talk with The Statesman, Meenakshi Pahuja, the head of the sports department of LSR, shared some stories of Manu’s undergraduate days which often involved juggling between international tournaments and last-minute college submissions.

Recalling her first interaction with Manu for the Delhi University admission trials, Pahuja says, “ She was focused from the beginning. When I first met her during the admissions trial, I remember she came to me and very innocently said that if I gave her admission, she would try her best to make me and her college proud. Indeed, she was right as she not only made the college proud but became the inspiration for the entire nation.”

Pahuja shared that Manu’s choice for a degree in Political Science was due to her curiosity to learn about governance and she tried her best to manage her academics along with her sports. Her teacher also recalled how the Olympic champion never asked any professor for any kind of leverage and tried her best to catch up with her classes.

“Even during her national camps practices, if her practice with her coach would finish at 11, she made sure that she reached college by 12 to attend classes”, said Pahuja.

The ace shooter’s family also helped her manage the balance between college and sports as they would often come to college to submit her assignments and other projects when she was occupied representing the country at the international level, recalled the LSR sports head.

Meenakshi Pahuja also revealed that Manu received the Arjuna Award in her first year of college and the later year went to the Tokyo Olympics. Thus, she made her teachers and friends proud from the beginning of her college days.

Talking about the humble nature of the athlete, Pahuja shared “ Even though she was playing at the International level, she never hesitated in representing her college at Inter-College tournaments …She created history by winning seven gold medals for Delhi University at All India Varsity.” She also praised Manu for her deep sense of gratitude and acknowledgment for her teachers and family.

When asked about Manu’s interaction with her after she lost at the Tokyo Olympics because of a pistol malfunction, Meenakshi said, “ She was quite disappointed. I reassured her that it was not the end of the world and to keep going. In fact, everyone in the college including her classmates tried their best to support her.”

Giving a message to all the girls who aim to follow Manu’s footsteps, Meenakshi said that consistency is the key and there is no substitute for hard work. She further added that Manu’s historic achievement sends a strong message of women’s empowerment and will inspire many girls for generations to come.