Manu Bhaker has made history in Indian sports by becoming the first Indian woman to claim an Olympic shooting medal. At the Paris Olympics 2024, she achieved a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event, marking a significant milestone as the first female Indian shooter to reach the Olympic podium.
Manu Bhaker’s road to this historic event began when she was only 14, shortly after the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite trying out several sports such as tennis, skating, and boxing, it was shooting that won her heart. Within a week of discovering her interest, Bhaker persuaded her father to buy her a sports shooting pistol, marking the beginning of her professional career.
Her father’s unwavering support played a crucial role in her rise. Bhaker’s dedication quickly became apparent as she began excelling in national competitions. At the 2017 national shooting championships, she made headlines by defeating former world No. 1 Heena Sidhu with a record score of 242.3 in the 10m Air Pistol category.
A Historic Bronze in Paris
Bhaker’s breakthrough on the global stage came in 2018 when she made her ISSF World Cup debut in Guadalajara, breaking the junior world record. At only 16, she became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup. Her impressive record continued with a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and multiple victories in international competitions.
In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics saw a malfunctioning pistol hindering her chances of a podium finish. Despite this setback, Bhaker’s commitment to excellence brought her to Paris, where she demonstrated outstanding skill and composure. Her performance in the women’s 10m air pistol final earned her a score of 221.7 points, securing India’s first medal of the Paris Olympics while narrowly missing out on the silver.
Along with Bhaker’s accomplishment, Ramita Jindal placed sixth in the qualification round and progressed to the final of the women’s 10m air rifle event. Elavenil Valarivan failed to make it to the final, but Jindal’s performance confirmed India’s encouraging opening to the Paris Games.
Day 2 Highlights and Other Performances
Day 2 of the Paris Olympics created a day of underwhelming and inspiring moments. PV Sindhu started her campaign with a thumping victory over FN Abdul Razzaq of Maldives in the women’s singles badminton event. In rowing, Balraj Panwar became the first Indian to reach the quarterfinals. Sreeja Akula, of table tennis, was cruising through the rounds by defeating Christina Kallberg of Sweden.
The athletes of India, through some fine performances across different sports disciplines, have really stamped their class with the running of the Paris Olympics. Manu Bhaker’s historic bronze medal just goes on to prove her dedication and skill; it opens the medal count of the nation, setting the scene for further triumphs at the Games.
The Indian women’s archery team, who performed exceptionally in the ranking series, prepared to compete in the quarterfinals later in the day.
Conclusion
Manu Bhaker performed a remarkable feat during the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She captured the first-ever women’s shooting medal for India. This demonstrates her skill level and the improvement of Indian players in international sports. Now she has an Olympic medal. This demonstrates her talent and how hard she worked. India will benefit from her victory in these Olympics. It offers young Indian athletes hope. They understand that they can succeed in major competitions like the Olympics. Bhaker has demonstrated the skill level of Indian shooters. In Indian sports, people would remember her victory for a very long time.
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