Manu Bhaker made history as the first female shooter from India to win an Olympic medal, joining an exclusive group of Indian Olympic medallists that had previously consisted only of four male shooters. Her victory marks a significant turnaround for Indian shooting, which had previously missed out on medals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Bhaker’s impressive performance at the Chateauroux shooting range concluded with a dramatic finish. She narrowly missed out on a higher podium spot, trailing by just 0.1 point behind silver medallist Kim Yeji of South Korea in the sixth shoot-off of Stage 2. The gold medal was secured by another South Korean shooter, Oh Ye Jin, who set a new Olympic record.
Who Is Manu Bhaker?
Manu Bhaker, hailing from Jhajjar district in Haryana, was a versatile athlete during her school years, excelling in tennis, skating, boxing, and the martial arts ‘thang ta,’ and earning medals at the national level. Her foray into shooting started at the age of 14, shortly after the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she soon developed a deep passion for the sport.
Bhaker’s standout year was 2018, but her talent had already been evident in the previous year. At the 2017 National Shooting Championships, she garnered attention by defeating Olympian and former world No. 1 Heena Sidhu with a record-setting score of 242.3 in the 10m Air Pistol final. By the following year, at just 16, she won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Her skills were further highlighted at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she claimed gold in the Women’s 10-metre air pistol event, overcoming two-time champion Alejandra Zavala of Mexico. In 2019, Bhaker secured an Olympic quota place with a fourth-place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup.
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Manu Bhaker At The Tokyo Olympics
As Manu Bhaker made her debut at the Tokyo Olympics, the anticipation surrounding her was immense. Unfortunately, her chances were derailed by a gun malfunction, preventing her from winning a medal despite being a strong contender in several events. The disappointment from Tokyo left Bhaker so disheartened that she refrained from handling her pistol for nearly 25 days and even considered quitting the sport.
However, a family vacation to a beachside resort in Cherai, Kerala, proved to be a turning point. While at the resort, Bhaker found herself holding a water-filled kettle in her room, using it to simulate a practise exercise and test her arm stability. This moment of reflection rekindled her passion for shooting and reignited her determination to return to the sport, as per Hindustan Times.
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Manu Bhaker Becomes India’s First Female Olympic Shooting Medallist
Manu Bhaker's bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was a landmark achievement in Indian sports history. She became the first Indian female shooter to reach the final of an individual Olympic event in two decades, following Suma Shirur’s appearance in the 10m Air Rifle event at Athens 2004. Moreover, Bhaker made history as the first Indian woman to advance to the final round of the 10m air pistol event at any Olympics.
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