Manu Bhaker Becomes First Indian Female Athlete To Win Two Medals At Single Olympics Edition

Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh won India's second medal of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 as the shooting pair won bronze in the 10 metre mixed team air pistol event on Tuesday (30 July).

With this medal, Manu Bhaker has created history by becoming the first Indian female athlete to win two Olympic medals in a single edition, and the first one to do so after Independence.

Norman Pritchard was the first athlete to win two medals in the same Olympic Games for India. He achieved the feat during the 1900 Paris Olympics by winning silver medals in the 200-metre hurdles and 200-metre race.

India's medal tally at the Paris Olympics has now risen to two medals, with both of them coming from shooting.

On Sunday (28 July), Bhaker scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal at the Olympics. She won a bronze medal in the 10 metre air pistol event.

"Winning this medal is a dream come true, not just for me but for everyone who has supported me. I am deeply grateful to the NRAI, SAI, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Coach Jaspal Rana sir, Haryana government and OGQ. I dedicate this victory to my country for their incredible support and love," Bhaker had said after winning her first medal.

Here's a brief profile of Manu Bhaker:

Early Life

Born on 18 February 2002, Manu Bhaker hails from Goria village in Haryana's Jhajjar district.

Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy.

Before turning to shooting, Manu excelled in various sports, including the Manipuri martial art Huyen Langlon, boxing, tennis, and skating, securing medals at national games in these disciplines.

Career Beginnings

Bhaker's foray into competitive shooting began with an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh by her father.

Her first major success came at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships, where she clinched a silver medal.

In the same year, she dominated the National Games in Kerala, winning nine gold medals and breaking Heena Sidhu's record with a score of 242.3 points.

Rise to Prominence

Manu's international breakthrough occurred at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she won gold in the Women's 10-meter air pistol event, becoming the youngest Indian to do so at age 16.

She continued her success by winning another gold in the 10-meter Air Pistol mixed team event with Om Prakash Mitharval.

Commonwealth and Asian Games

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Bhaker set a new record in the women's 10m air pistol event, securing gold with a score of 240.9 points.

Though she set a game's record score of 593 in the qualification round of the 25m Air pistol event at the 2018 Asian Games, she finished 6th in the finals.

Youth Olympics and Subsequent Achievements

In May 2019 she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event via a fourth place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup. This came days after her pistol jammed in the finals of the 25m pistol event when she was leading, eventually forcing her to forfeit due to her gun not being able to fire.

She won the team gold for India in the women's 25m pistol team event at the 2022 Asian Games, along with Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan.

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