In a proud moment for India, 22-year-old Manu Bhaker on Sunday opened India's medal account by winning bronze at the Paris Olympics 2024. Manu Bhaker missed the silver by the barest of margins. The gold & silver went to two Korean athletes- Oh Ye Jin & Kim Yeji. There was a shootout between Kim Yeji & Manu Bhaker. However, it was Kim Yeji who went on to get a better point. To be precise the Korean shooter Kim Yeji shot 10.5 under pressure to go ahead of Manu Bhaker, who herself shot 10.3. As per reports, Manu Bhaker has become the first woman to win a medal in Olympics in shooting.
During the Tokyo Olympics, a malfunctioned gun had left Manu Bhaker distraught three years ago.
Who is Manu Bhaker
Born in Jhajjar, Haryana, a state known for its boxers and wrestlers, Manu Bhaker took to sports like tennis, skating, and boxing in school. She also participated in a form of martial arts called ‘thang ta’, winning medals at the national level.
She then impulsively decided to try her hand at shooting when she was just 14 – just after the 2016 Rio Olympics ended – and loved it. Within a week, Manu Bhaker asked her father to get her a sports shooting pistol to hone her craft.
She represented India at the 2018 ISSF World Cup and won two gold medals, becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup. She won the gold medal in women's 10 m air pistol event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games just at the age of 16 in her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance.