Olympics shooter Manu Bhaker who is known for her achievements on the global sports stage made headlines after her appearance at the Lakme Fashion Week 2024. Walking the Marks & Spencer runway in a sleek black bodycon sleeveless dress, the 22-year-old stunned fans and delivered an air-gun pose in tribute to her shooting career. The moment which blended her athletic prowess with her fashion debut quickly went viral across social media.
However, the attention wasn’t all positive because Manu faced criticism from some users who labeled her appearance as “over-hyped” and “drama.” A few trolls referred to her as “Manu Bekaar” and described her runway walk as “overrated”. Despite these negative comments, many others defended the young athlete, with one user writing, “Champion of India,” while another commented, “She carried herself very well”.
In response to the criticism, Manu Bhaker wrote a comment which read, “Wow, thank you guys for some good words. Also quite some haters I see. I just wanted to say, don’t limit yourself to anything, make your life big, your career shiny and your parents proud, haters will hate, lovers will love, you do you. Have your morale high and make your own way, in your own style. There’s no shortcut to things, but why do easy things when good gave you strength to do difficult. Cheers”
This confident post highlighted her ability to balance both her sports and public persona. Earlier Manu Bhaker shared a video of her runway appearance with the caption, “Locked, Loaded and Runway-ready with M&S Bringing in the BigAutumnEnergy!”
Beyond the runway, Manu Bhaker has made history for India. At the Paris Olympics 2024, she became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Olympics. Manu clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol individual event and later, she added another bronze in the 10m mixed team air pistol event alongside Sarabjit Singh. Her achievements have solidified her status as one of the most successful Olympics athletes of India.
While her Lakme Fashion Week debut garnered mixed reactions, Manu Bhaker’s dual success on the Olympics stage and the fashion runway showcases her versatility and resilience in the face of both challenges and criticism.
