Manu Bhaker-Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Row Shows Why India Can’t Become A Sporting Nation

India’s aspirations to change into a sporting nation are reiterated, however wanting past cricket is not the simplest activity. A enormous social media stir erupted after the double Olympic medalist was questioned about teenage cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi throughout a media interplay. The irony right here is palpable. At the age of 16, Manu Bhaker was already a senior World Cup gold medalist and a worldwide sensation. At that point, did anybody suppose to ask Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma for his or her ideas on her rise? The reply isn’t any, and we all know it’s, so is it honest for the reverse to be thought-about acceptable follow?

If we proceed to consider that non-cricket stars solely make headlines when linked to the 22-yard pitch, we’ll by no means actually change into a multi-sport nation.

The incident involving Manu Bhaker and the query about 15-year-old cricketer Sooryavanshi is not only a social media “moment”; it’s an X-ray into the well being of India’s sporting tradition, which has change into too inflexible to maneuver on from its love affair with cricket.

At 24, Bhaker is a double Olympic medalist, an athlete who has actually written new chapters in Indian sporting historical past. Yet, throughout the seventy fifth anniversary celebrations of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in Delhi, the highlight was shifted away from her technical excellence and towards a trending cricket headline. This disconnect highlights a systemic situation: we’re a rustic that loves winners, however we’re but to fall in love with the sports activities these athletes signify.

The core of this frustration lies within the one-way road of cross-sport curiosity. In 2018, when a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker outgunned world-class shooters to win gold on the ISSF World Cup in Mexico, she was arguably probably the most thrilling teenage prospect on the earth. She has gone on to win a number of Olympic medals and is seen as one of many brightest athletes within the nation. She has no reference to cricket, but her opinion on a rising star within the sport is taken into account necessary. It’s obscure why.

This asymmetry creates a dynamic in Indian sports activities, the place Olympic disciplines are solely related throughout the transient interval of the Games. At different instances, they’re compelled right into a cricket-centric narrative. When we ask an Olympic champion to validate a budding cricketer, we aren’t simply following social media trends-we are successfully questioning whether or not an elite athlete holds adequate significance to command the nation’s consideration by itself.

VIDEO | India’s double Olympic medalist shooter Manu Bhaker says, “With the right mentorship, Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) can be the next big star of Indian cricket.”

(Full video obtainable on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/UZwA8iZwSk

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 27, 2026

Can India Truly Become A Sporting Nation?

If India actually desires to evolve right into a multi-sport powerhouse, the shift should start within the thoughts. Becoming a “sporting nation” is not nearly profitable medals; it is about giving a shooter the identical respect we in line with cricketer.

The social media storm following the Bhaker-Sooryavanshi interplay means that followers are literally forward of the curve. They acknowledged that asking an Olympic icon to behave as a commentator for one more sport, at its personal federation’s occasion, was an injustice to its achievements.

Until we attain a degree the place a cricketer is requested in regards to the nuances of a 10m air pistol ultimate, or the place a Shooting World Cup generates the identical chatter as a mid-season IPL sport, the double commonplace stays.

We can proceed to rejoice the person brilliance of our champions, but when we do not begin treating their disciplines with the identical dignity we grant the pitch, we’ll proceed to lose floor on our a

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