After a 12-year wait for an overall Olympic medal in shooting, Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman to earn a medal at the Games.
In the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday, Manu Bhaker showed incredible bravery to vanquish the demons of Tokyo and give India a historic bronze medal. After a 12-year wait for an overall Olympic medal in shooting, she became the first Indian woman to earn a medal at the Games. India’s last Olympic medals were from the 2012 London Games, where rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar took home silver and 10m air rifle marksman Gagan Narang took home bronze.
Manu became the third Indian woman to get to the final stages of an individual shooting event at the Olympics. She shot 221.7 in the final to take home the bronze.
MANU BHAKER EARLY JOURNEY
Originating from Jhajjar, Haryana, a state well-known for its athletic prowess, Bhaker showed an early aptitude for athletics. She participated in tennis, skating, boxing, and thang ta martial arts, earning renown across the country in these sports.
A turning point occurred in 2016 when 14-year-old Manu developed a passion for shooting after being inspired by the Rio Olympics. She started her incredible adventure when she persuaded her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, to buy a sporting pistol in less than a week.
Manu’s ascent began in 2017 when she shocked the country by defeating Olympian Heena Sidhu in the 10m Air Pistol final, shattering the record with a score of 242.3 to win the national shooting championship title.
