Outlook Sports Desk
Manu Bhaker kicked off India’s medal tally at the Paris Olympics on July 28, Sunday, by claiming the bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol shooting event.
This year, Bhaker secured her first Olympic medal at the Paris Games 2024 and followed it up with a second bronze medal at the same event. At the Tokyo Olympics 2020, she faced disappointment due to a malfunction with her pistol.
In the mixed team 10m air pistol event, the Indian pair of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured the bronze medal. They outperformed the South Korean duo of Ye Jin Oh and Wonho Lee, winning the match 16-10. This achievement marks India’s first-ever medal in a shooting team event.
With this, 22-year-old Manu Bhaker became the only Indian athlete to win two or more medals at the single Olympic Games.
Not only did Bhaker become the first Indian to win two medals at a single Games, but she also became the first Indian female to win a medal in Olympic shooting.
Manu Bhaker ended a 12-year drought by securing the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, as no Indian sportsperson had won a medal in shooting events at The Games since 2012.
Manu Bhaker became the fifth Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal. The previous Indian shooting medalists are Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004 Athens), Abhinav Bindra (2008 Beijing), Vijay Kumar (2012 London), and Gagan Narang (2012 London).
Manu Bhaker's quest for glory in Paris is not yet over, she will also compete in the women’s 25m pistol event, scheduled to start on Friday. She is the only athlete in the 21-member Indian shooting contingent to participate in multiple individual events at the Games 2024.