Who is Manu Bhaker? The Shooting Star Who Just Secured Bronze at Paris Olympics!
Who is Manu Bhaker? The Shooting Star Who Just Secured Bronze at Paris Olympics!
Manu Bhaker, a name now synonymous with shooting excellence, has once again made her home state of Haryana proud by clinching a historic bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the Paris Olympics 2024. Bhaker’s journey to this remarkable achievement is a testament to her resilience and passion for the sport.
Bhaker’s affinity for sports began in her school days, where she played tennis, skating, and boxing. Her true passion, however, lay in sports, and she excelled in the martial art of ‘thang ta,’ winning national-level medals. It was at the age of 14, after the 2016 Rio Olympics, that Bhaker discovered shooting, a sport she immediately embraced with enthusiasm. Within a week of her initial exposure, she persuaded her father to buy her a sport shooting pistol, marking the start of her professional journey.
Support from her father was instrumental as he promptly fulfilled her request, setting the stage for her future successes. Bhaker first gained national attention at the 2017 shooting championships, where she stunned the audience by defeating Olympian Heena Sidhu with a record score of 242.3 in the 10m Air Pistol category. This achievement placed her at the forefront of Indian shooting.
The young athlete continued to make waves, winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. Her international debut came in 2018 at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, where she broke the junior world record in the qualification round. At just 16, Bhaker became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup, further cementing her status with golds in both individual and mixed team events.
Manu’s prowess was on full display at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, where she set a new Games record to win gold in the women’s 10m Air Pistol. Despite a promising performance that secured her a fourth-place finish at the 2019 Munich ISSF World Cup and additional medals at the 2021 New Delhi ISSF World Cup, a pistol malfunction during the Tokyo Olympics deprived her of a podium finish.
However, Bhaker’s perseverance paid off in Paris, where her exceptional skills and dedication earned her a well-deserved bronze medal, showcasing her resilience and commitment to the sport.
