The Paris puzzle: Why Manu Bhaker won while many Indian medal favorites failed? Prakash Padukone explains
Prakash Padukone observed that shooter Manu Bhaker excelled in the Paris Olympics partly due to the absence of intense pressure. He noted that Bhaker's success in shooting stemmed from not being among the favorites, a factor which often shields athletes from the debilitating pressure experienced by frontrunners. Padukone highlighted that many of India's past Olympic medals have come from athletes who were not expected to perform at such a high level, benefiting from the lack of pressure on their performances.
«One of the reasons why Manu Bhaker has done well in shooting because she was not among the favorites. People who are favorites are always under pressure and have not done so well as expected. Most of our medals even in the earlier Olympics have come from people whom we have not expected anything because there is no pressure,» he said.
«Olympics is all about handling pressure. All the more important it is more to pay attention to the mind...to train your mind...to do yoga..to do mediation,» he said.
Padukone emphasized that the Olympics is a test of mental resilience as much as physical skill. He stressed the importance of mental preparation, advocating for techniques such as yoga and meditation to better equip athletes to handle the intense pressure of the Games. He pointed out that many top Indian athletes struggled not due to a lack of technical or physical prowess but because they could not manage the psychological demands of the competition.
Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medalist, has been a standout
