I want to prepare myself for success and failure all over again, says Manu

The double Olympic medallist knows she won't start winning everything just because of success she had at Paris

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker causes pandemonium wherever she goes. From stray selfie seekers to eager news crew to shy security guards, everyone wants a piece of the double Olympic medallist. In the six months since she became independent India's first athlete to medal twice at a single Olympics, Manu has had an audience with the Prime Minister, the chief minister, leaders of Opposition, among others.

"It's kind of funny the kind of people I've met. Absolutely unbelievable," she said. It helps that she tries to accommodate everyone with a picture-perfect smile.

The attention, she says, also helps her stay grounded. Perhaps that's why, when no one is watching, she quietly drifts to para judoka and Arjuna awardee Kapil Parmar who is quietly having his meal all by himself, to congratulate him on his big day. "It wouldn't feel right if I don't do it," she said.

"I never forget where I come from and I don't forget that all this hype exists only because I'm good at shooting. Someday, all of this will go and people will get on with their lives, but what will stay with me is my shooting."

Conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, country's highest sports honour for athletes, on Friday, Manu's maturity belies her 22 years. "The attention overwhelms me, to be honest," she says while posing for pictures. "I feel blessed that I can bring a smile to people's lives. But at the end of the day, I am still the same person I always was. Maybe, people look at me a little differently now, I don't know."

That certainly looked the case on the benign January afternoon where everyone within a square foot of her seemed to radiate her reflected glory.

Life, post Paris, has been a blur. Hopping from one felicitation to another, signing endorsement deals, handling the controversy surrounding her earlier exclusion from the awards' list have meant the youngster has rarely stayed away from the limelight.