Manu Bhaker wins India’s 1st medal at the Paris Games
By clinching the bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol today, Manu Bhaker became the first medallist for India at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Equally significantly, she made history as the first Indian woman to win a shooting medal at the Olympic Games.
Throughout the 24-shot, eight-woman final, the 22-year-old from Jhajjar district of Haryana remained a strong contender, her confidence bolstered by her belief in the Bhagavad Gita (as she said in a post-match interview to India’s official broadcaster) and an impressive 580 points in Saturday’s qualifying round.
Manu missed out on the second spot by the smallest of margins.
Oh Ye Jin of South Korea went on to win gold with an Olympic record of 243.2. Her compatriot, Kim Yije secured silver with 241.3, and Manu finished with the bronze at 221.7.
“I am really happy that I am the medium for this first medal, and I really hope we win many more medals at this Olympics, as all of us have worked hard,” the champion shooter told the official broadcasters.
