A 22-year-old athlete from Haryana scripted history on Sunday (July 28) as she became the first woman to win a medal in Shooting in the Olympics for India. Hailing from Haryana, Manu Bhaker won a Bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics 2024. It was redemption for the highly-rated shooter following heartbreak at the Games in Tokyo last time.


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Bhaker finished third in the women's 10m air pistol final at the  Chateauroux Shooting Centre in the French capital. She's only the fifth shooter after Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang to win an Olympic medal.


Manu Bhaker began the final on Sunday with a surge of confidence. When her name was announced at the shooting range, she smiled at the TV cameras, delighting the Indian crowd. (Manu Bhaker Creates History With Bronze Medal In 10m Air Rifle Shooting, First For India At Paris Olympics 2024)


Manu started strong, shooting 50.4 in her first series of five shots, with three shots scoring over 10. In her second series, she brought her tally to 100.3, consistently staying in the top three throughout the competition.


Overcoming the haunting memories of the Tokyo Olympics, where she failed to qualify for the finals in all three events she competed in, Manu had considered quitting shooting last year before rediscovering her passion for the sport. Her strong form leading up to the Games, combined with the highs and lows she had faced, molded her into the determined shooter seen on Sunday. (Paris Olympics 2024: Manu Bhaker Shines In Qualifier As India’s Hope For Olympic Gold In Shooting)


Where is Manu Bhaker From?


Manu is from Jhajjar born on February 18. 2002 and she is one of the most prominent figures representing India in shooting. She had interest in sports from a young age and she made her debut in 2017. (HIGHLIGHTS | IND (3) Vs NZ (2) Hockey Match Paris 2024 Olympics: Captain Harmanpreet Singh Get Winning Goal)


She started off by winning gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires in the 10m Air Pistol event making her the first Indian shooter to do so. Her first gold came at the age of 16 at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara followed up by another gold in 2018 Commonwealth Games.