Manu Bhaker, who made history in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 by bagging two medals in shooting, is in huge demand among brands for endorsements. As many as 40 brands have approached Bhaker for endorsements. Her fee has also increased six to seven times, from Rs 20-25 lakh per endorsement earlier.
One deal has been closed at about Rs 1.5 crore, according to reports.
Bhaker has secured two bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events. She also finished in fourth position in the 25m air pistol event on Saturday.
Neerav Tomar, CEO and MD of IOS Sports & Entertainment, which manages Bhaker, told Times of India, “We have got about 40-odd enquiries in just the last 2-3 days. We are focusing right now on the long-term association deals, and we have closed a couple of endorsements.”
Until recently, Bhaker endorsed only one brand, Performax Activewear. Now, about six additional brands are in discussions with her for endorsements or sponsorships, according to the report.
Tomar further said, “Her brand value, of course, has jumped five to six folds. So, anything we were doing before was in the vicinity of Rs 20-25 lakh, now it has gone to the region of about Rs 1.5 crore for one deal of endorsements. This is a one-year kind of engagement for a brand category with exclusivity.”
He also said that at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, we win many medals in shooting, but the interest often wanes. “In the Olympics, athletes stand out more, and with two medals, they truly shine.”
Meanwhile, according to reports, IOS Sports & Entertainment, which manages Bhaker, is also taking legal action against brands that have used her photos and videos in congratulatory ads without proper sponsorship agreements.
The 22-year-old, who has already made history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win two bronze medals in one edition of the quadrennial showpiece, also did a slendid performance on Saturday and finished in 4th position.
Manu, who continued to dominate the event and remained among the top three almost throughout the qualification phase of ‘precision’ and ‘rapid’ rounds, aggregated 590 to be placed second behind Hungary’s Veronika Major who equalled the Olympic record with a score of 592.
Manu, who has seen a marked improvement in her shooting after patching up with legendary shooter-turned-coach Jaspal Rana, has won the 10m women’s air pistol bronze and 10m air pistol mixed team bronze pairing up with Sarabjot Singh.
She was in impregnable form in the sports pistol qualification rounds, firing 294 in the gruelling ‘precision’ round with scores of 97, 98 and 99.
The ‘rapid round’ brought out the best in her as she shot a perfect 100, followed by two 98s for a aggregate of 296.
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