Fans of Indian shooter and Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker recently defended her against cyber-trolls who mocked a photo of her at a temple in Punjab. The image, which features the 22-year-old athlete dressed in a simple salwar-kameez with her head covered by a dupatta at the Devi Talab Temple in Jalandhar, was shared by a social media user and quickly went viral. While many praised Bhaker’s modest appearance, a group of online users began to criticize her, claiming it was one of the “rare” instances where she wasn’t “flaunting” her bronze medal.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, sarcastically remarked, “Rare image: Manu Bhaker without her bronze medal,” along with a reshare of the image. Another troll chimed in, saying, “Finally sister decided to give them rest haha.” One more user mockingly asked, “Where is her Bronze Medal??”
Rare image: Manu Bhaker without her bronze medal. pic.twitter.com/zlmJnIAfy5
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) September 14, 2024
However, these comments were met with swift backlash from Bhaker’s supporters. One user retorted, “At least she has a bronze to show.. You don’t have anything… So stop crying…” Another added, “Sorry man. Let her bask in her glory for the entire year. She will have to keep showing her medals for a significant time till it gets imprinted in the mind of every Indian. Only then will the people realise the value of her medal.”
This incident gained further traction when Muffadal Vohra, a cricket enthusiast and sports chronicler, originally posted Bhaker’s picture. Among the comments, one user remarked, “Manu Bhaker looks good without a medal also.”
Manu Bhaker made history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic shooting medal when she secured bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Following her Olympic success, Bhaker visited Amritsar, where she paid her respects at the Golden Temple and other religious sites.
Speaking to the media, Bhaker shared her experience of visiting the sacred location: “This was my first visit to the Golden Temple and it felt very nice… I would like to tell the youth that if you set a target, give in your all to achieve it. God will be with you and you will achieve what you desire.”
