In a historic moment for Indian sports, 22-year-old Manu Bhaker from Haryana has become the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal at the Olympics. She’s also the first Indian female shooter to reach an Olympic final in an individual event in the last 20 years. Bhaker’s remarkable performance in the 10m air pistol final at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in France has brought glory to the nation.
The gold medal was claimed by Korea’s Oh Ye Jon with a total score of 243.2, while her compatriot Kim Yeji secured silver with 241.3 points. Bhaker’s bronze-winning performance saw her accumulate 221.7 points.
This achievement makes Bhaker the fifth Indian to receive an Olympic medal in shooting, following in the footsteps of Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar, and Gagan Narang. The last Indian medals in rifle shooting came at the 2012 London Olympics, where Narang won bronze in men’s 10m air rifle and Kumar clinched silver in men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol.
Bhaker’s journey to Olympic success hasn’t been without its challenges. After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, she even considered quitting the sport last year. However, her perseverance has paid off, and she has now etched her name in the annals of Indian sports history.”
-Sanyogita
