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Manu Bhaker became independent India’s first double medallist at a single Olympic Games with bronze medals at Paris 2024. read more
 "Who is Manu Bhaker - India's double bronze medallist at Paris Olympics")
Manu Bhaker waves to the crowd after winning bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Reuters
Manu Bhaker secured the bronze medal in the Women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday, 28 July, marking India’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Two days later, she partnered with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze — in 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Paris Olympics: News, schedule, medals tally and more
Bhaker’s stunning run would continue on Friday, 2 August, as she would qualify for the final of a third event — 25m pistol — continuing her sparkling form in what has been a life-changing Olympics so far.
In the individual event, Bhaker was close to competing for gold but fell just 0.1 points short during the sixth shoot-off, resulting in her third-place finish.
In the team contest, Bhaker and Sarabjot were far too good for the Korean pairing of Wonho Lee and Ye Jin Oh.
In the process, Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games since Norman Pritchard in 1900.
And on Friday, Bhaker became the first Indian athlete to qualify for the final of three different events after finishing second in the qualification round with a score of 590, behind Hungary’s Veronika Major.
Who is Manu Bhaker?
Hailing from Jhajjar in Haryana, a state celebrated for its boxers and wrestlers, Manu Bhaker played multiple sports during her school years, including tennis, skating, and boxing. She also competed in a martial art known as ‘thang ta,’ where she earned medals at the national level.
At 14, shortly after the 2016 Rio Olympics, she made an impulsive decision to explore shooting and instantly fell in love. Within a week, Manu persuaded her father to buy her a sport shooting pistol to refine her skills.
Social Media | India toasts Manu Bhaker after Paris Olympics medal
Her supportive father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, obliged and purchased the gun — a pivotal choice that would ultimately pave the way for Manu Bhaker’s Olympic aspirations.
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) July 28, 2024At the 2017 National Shooting Championships, Manu shocked everyone by defeating Olympian and former world No. 1 Heena Sidhu, setting a record score of 242.3 to clinch the gold in the 10m Air Pistol final.
She followed this up with a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships, and the next year, Bhaker made a spectacular mark on the international stage.
On her debut at the International Sport Shooting Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, Bhaker shattered the junior world record during the qualification rounds, advancing smoothly into the final of the women’s 10m Air Pistol event.
Competing against Olympic gold medallist Anna Korakaki, three-time World Cup medallist Celine Goberville, and local favourite Alejandra Zavala, Manu scored 237.5 to clinch the gold medal, becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup at just 16 years old.
Manu then teamed up with Om Prakash Mitharval to secure her second gold medal in the mixed team event for the 10m Air Pistol. Since she was still eligible for the ISSF Junior World Cup, she continued her winning streak by claiming gold medals in both the individual and mixed team categories in the 10m Air Pistol.
A month later, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Manu set a new Games record to win gold in the women’s 10m Air Pistol. She followed this success with another gold at her second ISSF Junior World Cup, along with a bronze in the mixed team event, though she narrowly missed a medal in the 25m pistol event.
While she didn’t medal at the 2018 Asian Games, Manu made history later that year at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, winning gold in the 10m Air Pistol and becoming the first Indian shooter and the first female athlete from India to achieve this feat at the Youth Olympics.
In 2019, Manu partnered with Saurabh Chaudhary at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, forming a highly successful duo. They captured mixed team gold medals at all three ISSF World Cups that year. At the World Cup final in China, Manu claimed gold in both the individual and mixed team events. Additionally, she secured an Olympic quota place with a fourth-place finish at the 2019 Munich ISSF World Cup.
In 2021, Manu added to her accolades with gold and silver medals in the 10m Air Pistol at the New Delhi ISSF World Cup, as well as a bronze in the 25m Air Pistol, positioning her as one of India’s top medal contenders for the Tokyo Olympics.
Gun malfunction at Tokyo 2020
Unfortunately, Manu’s Olympic debut did not go as planned. During the 10m air pistol qualification, her pistol malfunctioned, forcing her to leave the competition briefly to fix the issue. Although the damaged gun was replaced and she returned to the firing range, her rhythm was disrupted, and she had only 36 minutes to complete her remaining 44 shots. Despite performing well under pressure, she fell short of the top eight to qualify for the finals.
In her next event, the mixed 10m pistol, Manu partnered with fellow Saurabh Chaudhary, but the duo finished seventh, despite having topped the first stage of qualification. Her challenging Tokyo campaign concluded with the 25m pistol event, where she once again missed out on the final.
Following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Manu became the junior world champion in the women’s 10m air pistol in Lima and has consistently won medals in the junior circuit since. However, she has struggled to replicate her early success in senior competitions since 2021.
Manu did secure a silver medal in the women’s 25m pistol at the 2022 Cairo World Championships and won gold in the same event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Her sole individual senior victory — a bronze in the women’s 25m pistol — came at the Bhopal leg of the 2023 ISSF World Cup series.
She earned a quota place for Paris 2024 by finishing fifth in the women’s 25m pistol event at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon.
Bhaker’s achievements at Paris Olympics
Manu Bhaker became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal in Paris.
She also became the first female shooter to reach an individual Olympic final in two decades.
Bhaker sealed India’s first medal in shooting since the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Manu is also recognised for being India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in the 10m air pistol event.
Bhaker is the fifth Indian shooter to earn an Olympic medal, joining the ranks of Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004 Athens), Abhinav Bindra (2008 Beijing), Vijay Kumar (2012 London), and Gagan Narang (2012 London).
Bhaker became the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games edition since Norman Pritchard in 1900.
Manu Bhaker’s career achievements
Manu Bhaker gets the ball rolling for #TeamIndia with a Bronze medal 🥉 in 10m pistol shooting!
#Cheer4Bharat & watch more action from #Paris2024, LIVE on #Sports18 & streaming FREE on #JioCinema 📲#OlympicsonJioCinema #OlympicsonSports18#JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/TpD9dAuzOv
Asian Games (2022)- Gold Medal in 25m Pistol Team
World Championship, Baku (2023)- Gold Medal in 25m Pistol Team
Asian Shooting Championship, Changwon (2023)- bagged Paris Games 2024 Quota with 5th finish in 25m Pistol.
World Cup, Bhopal (2023)- Bronze Medal in 25m Pistol
World Championship, Cairo (2022) - Silver Medal in 25m Pistol
World University Games, Chengdu (2021) - 2 Gold Medals in 10m Air pistol individual and womens team event.
Paris Olympics (2024) - Bronze Medal in 19m Air Pistol
How the government helped Bhaker?
Manu Bhaker received financial support from the government towards her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. During the Paris Olympics cycle, she received 28.78 lakhs (28,78,634) from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) funding programme. And, under Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) she received Rs 1.35 crore (Rs. 1,35,36,155).
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