Manu Bhaker Wins India’s First Medal at Paris Olympics

In an exhilarating moment for Indian sports, Manu Bhaker has made history by clinching a bronze medal in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event at the Paris Olympics. With this achievement, she has opened India’s medal account at these games, marking a significant milestone.

Manu, who hails from Jhajjar, came incredibly close to winning silver but missed out by a narrow margin. The silver and gold medals were secured by South Korean shooters, with Oeh Ye Jin taking gold with a score of 243.2, while her compatriot Kim Yae Ji bagged silver with 241.3 points.

This remarkable win by Manu Bhaker ended India’s 13-year wait for a shooting medal at the Olympics, making her the first Indian woman to achieve this feat. The last medal in Olympic shooting for India was won in 2012 during the London Olympics, where Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang each secured bronze.

During the final round, Manu maintained her composure and delivered a consistent performance, ultimately finishing with a score of 221.7. Her achievement shines brightly, especially considering her previous outing at the Tokyo Olympics, where she left empty-handed.

Manu’s journey in shooting has been quite inspiring. She started gaining attention as a young talent and already made a name for herself at the Youth Olympics in 2018. Besides her recent accomplishments, she has also claimed titles at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Coming from a family that supported her passion, Manu’s father played a significant role in her journey. After witnessing the excitement of the 2016 Rio Olympics, she decided to pursue shooting, leading to her asking her father for a shooting pistol, and well, the rest is history.

Her score of 242.3 at the 2017 National Shooting Championship stunned many, including former world number one Heena Sidhu, marking her arrival on the big stage.