Manu Bhaker has clinched two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is the first historic achievement for Indian shooting.” Her skills and acumen are displayed as she breaks new ground in Indian sporting history.
Manu Bhaker, India’s young shooting game prodigy, has become a synonym of success in Olympic history through her record-breaking performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
She just fell short of achieving a medal grand slam, Bhaker’s exceptional accomplishment of winning two medals in one single Olympic edition is a historical breakthrough for Indian sports.
Image Credits: https://www.businesstoday.in/sports/olympics/story/manu-bhaker-nearly-misses-out-on-3rd-medal-stood-4th-in-25m-womens-pistol-event-at-paris-olympics-440005-2024-08-03
From Jhajjar to Global Stardom: The Rise of Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker, a shooting sensation born in Joujhar, Haryana, on February 18, 2002, realized exceptional and glamorous stardom on the shooting stage despite being a small city resident.
Born with the sports gene in his blood from early childhood, Manu not only indulged in different types of sports, but his joy was boxing, tennis, and skating, among others. Nevertheless, she discovered her inborn strength in shooting and started her journey to which many would bow to her.
Within a year of her first match for the national team, Manu Bhaker had made an international breakthrough with brilliant performances, thus making it apparent that she was on her way to achieving future wins.
The time when she recorded her win was the Youth Olympic Games that were held in Buenos Aires in the year 2018, and she accomplished an uncommon feat by getting gold in the 10m Air Pistol event for India, thus becoming the first woman shooter from India who achieved this honor. This accomplishment not only demonstrated her talent but also put her on the map of world shooting.
A Triumph of Resilience and Redemption
Resilience and redemption are also to be seen in Manu Bhaker’s life. In Tokyo, 2021 she went through a difficult phase, and a bad pistol machine was the main reason, which ended with some poor sports performance.
The Paris Olympics were a second chance to do better, and Bhaker did not miss the opportunity.
The 2024 Summer Olympics witnessed Manu’s exceptional performance. She created a scene when she brought home two medals in a single Olympics event; a feat that made her the first shooter to do so from India.
Besides that, Manu won the 10m Air Pistol bronze and one more in the same category in Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol along with her teammate Sarabjot Singh. However, joining the women’s 25m Pistol event was her best moment.
Image Credits: https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-india-shooting-manu-bhaker-women-pistol-qualification
The 25m Pistol Event: A Dramatic Finale
The performance of Manu Bhaker in the 25m Pistol event stirred a mixture of emotions like sitting on a rollercoaster. Having finished with the 2nd spot in the qualification round, she was mighty high entering the final.
The start of the final was really daunting for Bhaker, as she could only pull off 2 points in her first series. Irrespective of the initial hardships, she was in no time back on track with a fresh series of impressive shots that again brought her into the top three.
The conclusion of the match served as a wonderful spectacle and played with everyone’s emotions. The young gun displayed her prowess with the perfect series, tightening India’s grip on another gold medal.
The climax came with a tie for the 3rd place Veronika right after Bhaker when the Olympic record was equaled. Sadly, Bhaker’s way of only two successfully hit targets in the shoot-off was close to Veronika’s winning target of 4, and thus, he landed in the 4th position.
The Impact and Legacy of Manu Bhaker
Notwithstanding the fact of Bhaker was unsuccessful in the secure a third medal, he has included the Olympics of Paris in the list of his most distinguished athletes.
She has done so by winning two Olympic medals and thereby reaching the degrees of the elite of India’s famous sports personalities, such as PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar, who both have been able to win an unparalleled feat of two Olympic medals on their own.
Notwithstanding the fact of Bhaker was unsuccessful in the secure a third medal, he has included the Olympics of Paris in the list of his most distinguished athletes.
She has done so by winning two Olympic medals and thereby reaching the degrees of the elite of India’s famous sports personalities, such as PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar, who both have been able to win an unparalleled feat of two Olympic medals on their own.
Right after the match, Bhaker revealed her sorrow for the fact that she didn’t win a third medal, but she continued to be positive about the future. Her journey is an inspiration for the younger athletes to never give up, and the spirit of resilience and the constant longing for perfection.
A Bright Future Ahead
Manu Bhaker went from a creative mind with a passion to one of the best shooters in India. There is no doubt that the work she has done for sports in India is taking the sport to an international level now.
Her success in the Paris Olympics was not only personal, but it was also the success of the shooting in India in the international arena. Looking ahead to the upcoming contests and obstacles to be faced, it is expected that Manu Bhaker will continue to be the driving force and the conveyer of her own feelings of success in sports.
Manu Bhaker, with her unmatched successes and perseverance, acts as the best possible example of how passion and commitment can make one achieve such great things. In the face of Indian sports enthusiasts who are happy about her success are very excited about what is next to happen. They hope to plan for the hundreds of living years ahead.
References:
https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-shooting-women-25m-air-pistol-manu-bhaker-final
https://www.businesstoday.in/sports/olympics/story/manu-bhaker-nearly-misses-out-on-3rd-medal-stood-4th-in-25m-womens-pistol-event-at-paris-olympics-440005-2024-08-03
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/paris-olympics-manu-bhaker-misses-historic-medal-hat-trick-but-still-scripts-history-here-is-all-about-the-ace-shooter/articleshow/112241669.cms
https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-india-shooting-manu-bhaker-women-pistol-qualification