Guwahati: Double Bronze Medalist from the Paris Olympics 2024, Manu Bhaker, was honoured on Friday by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, in a special ceremony held in Delhi.
Bhaker, the daughter of a seasoned seafarer, was feted on behalf of the entire seafaring community for her historic achievement of being the only Indian athlete to win two Bronze medals in a single Olympics.
The felicitation ceremony saw Bhaker being presented with a Phoolam Gamusa, a model ship, and a cheque of Rs 10 lakhs from the Indian Ports Association (IPA), recognising her outstanding contribution to Indian sports.
Manu Bhaker, who was raised in a seafarer’s family, interacted with young seafarers, sharing insights into how the values of discipline, dedication, and focus shaped her journey to Olympic success. She fondly recalled her childhood memories of sailing with her family and how those experiences enriched her understanding of different cultures and strengthened her resolve to push beyond limits.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal praised Bhaker’s achievements, stating, “The phenomenal achievement of Manu Bhaker at the Paris Olympics signifies her perseverance and relentless strive towards excellence. She represents the undying spirit of India’s youth aspirations to aim for greatness and with a morale to achieve it. Manu Bhaker is an inspiration to all of us, especially for our young seafarers, as she rightly identified how she imbibed the values of discipline, dedication and focus from her family and during her growing up years amidst the seafarer’s community. Her words of inspiration for our young seafarers will boost their resolve to aim and strive for excellence in their chosen field of profession.”
Sonowal also honored Bhaker’s parents, Sumedha Bhaker and Ram Kishan Bhaker, acknowledging their role in nurturing the champion shooter. Ram Kishan Bhaker, a Chief Engineer on a merchant navy ship, was especially commended for instilling in his daughter the values that have driven her to success.
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Manu Bhaker expressed her gratitude and reflected on her journey, saying, “I have fond memories of sailing on ships during summer holidays with my father, mother and brother. Those journeys were more than just vacations as it enriched me with learnings from different languages, cultures, and ways of life. I struggled many challenges along the way, but they only strengthened my resolve. I believe in pushing beyond limits – ‘Go big, then Go Home.’ It is about giving your all, knowing that the journey itself is as important as the destination, something, I think, that is intrinsic to seafarers community as any seafarer could relate to it.”
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including TK Ramachandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW); R Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary, MoPSW; and Vijay Kumar, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), among others.
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