Who is Manu Bhaker? Shooter opens India’s Olympic tally in Paris with bronze in women’s 10m air pistol
🇮🇳🥉 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗭𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 ! Manu Bhaker wins India’s first medal at #Paris2024 And what a beautiful way to do it! From heartbreak in Tokyo to winning bronze in Paris, Manu Bhaker’s story of redemption has been wonderful to witness.
🔫 A superb effort from him and I hope… pic.twitter.com/O7tqOuGFTa
— India at the Paris Olympics 2024 (@sportwalkmedia) July 28, 2024
Bhaker was born in Jhajjar in Haryana and has emerged as one of the rising stars in the Indian shooting circuit in recent times. She started her shooting journey at the age of 14 with the help of an initial investment worth $100,000. ₹1,50,000 from his father Ram Kishan Bhaker, who worked as a chief engineer in the merchant navy.
Bhaker was a keen sportsperson in all disciplines during her childhood, also excelling in martial arts and boxing at the national level. However, she began to focus on shooting around 2016, competing at the 2018 Junior World Cup with three gold medals and a silver, distinguishing herself mainly in the 10m air pistol individual and mixed team events.
Bhaker had gone into the previous Tokyo Olympics as one of the favourites to win a medal. However, she disappointed in several events, finishing seventh, 12th and 15th in the mixed 10m air pistol team, women’s 25m air pistol team and women’s 10m air pistol team.
The last time India won medals at the Olympics was in London 2012 when rapid fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and 10m air rifle shooter Gagan Narang clinched bronze. The Indian shooting team went two Olympics without a medal before 22-year-old Manu fought back to claim bronze with a score of 221.7. Korea’s Kim Yeji won silver with a total of 241.3 while compatriot Jin Ye Oh clinched gold with a Games record of 243.2.
(With PTI inputs)
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