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Manu Bhaker gives India a bronze start in Paris
Manu Bhaker's medal was the first-ever medal won by a woman shooter of India in the Olympic Games.
India's 22-year-old Olympic shooter, Manu Bhaker, got her name inscribed in the history books on July 28 by becoming the first-ever Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal. Her bronze medal in the 10 m Air Pistol, also made her the first Indian athlete to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Her medal also ended India’s medal drought in shooting since Gagan Narang (now Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent in Paris) won a bronze in the 10 m Air Rifle and Vijay Kumar in 25 m Rapid Fire in the 2012 London Olympic Games. India’s medal campaign in shooting started in 2004 when Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won a silver in the double trap event in the historic 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2008 Abhinav Singh Bindra changed the colour of the medal from silver to gold in the 10 m Air Rifle.
Manu Bhaker's medal was the first-ever medal won by a woman shooter of India in the Olympic Games. The Harayana native had won a gold and a silver in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, an Olympic medal eluded her when she made her debut in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. She had finished seventh in 10m Air Pistol (Team) and 12th in the same event for individual women.
The wait has turned fruitful as she qualified for the finals with a score of 580 behind the ultimate winner Ye Jin Ho (582). In the final, she was a picture of poise and concentration as she missed the silver by a whisker. South Korean Ye Jin Ho created a new Olympic record of 243.2. Silver went to Yeji Kim, also of Korea, with a score of 241.3. Bhaker ended third with a score of 221.7 while Yeji Kim, had till she qualified for the gold medal match had a score of 221.8, a difference of only 0.1.
“I know I missed the Silver medal by 0.1 but it is the medal that is more important for me and the country,” said Bhaker who kept her eyes throughout the final shoot on her mentor and coach Jaspal Rana. A graduate of Delhi University and a postgraduate student of Panjab University, Manu Bhaker has her favourite events – 25 M Air Pistol and 10 M Air Pistol (Mixed Team) – ahead.
Thank you Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for your blessings. I would like to thank government for all the support and encouragement. It means a lot. https://t.co/JxfDYU0oK4
— Manu Bhaker (@realmanubhaker) July 28, 2024
India's Day 2
While Bhaker held the limelight, Indian women players had a satisfying second day in the Games. Paddler Manika Batra overcame stiff resistance from Anna Hursey of Great Britain before winning at 11-8, 12-10,11-9, 9-11 and 11-5. Earlier, Sreeja Akula made her winning debut in the Olympic Games with a straight 11-4, 11-9, 11-7 and 11-8 win over Christina Kallberg of Sweden.
Indian table tennis veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal, however, lost his match to Deni Kozul of Scotland 12-10,9-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8 and 10-12.
In Badminton, Olympic medallist PV Sindhu started off her campaign with a straight-game victory against Maldives' Fathimath Abdul Razzaq while in the men's category HS Prannoy also followed in her steps to claim a straight-game win over lesser-ranked Fabian Roth of Germany in his Olympic debut.
2-time world champion Nikhat Zareen shines as she defeats Maxi Carina Kloetzer 5-0 in the women’s 50 kg #Boxing round of 32 at the #Paris2024Olympics.
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 28, 2024
She will next face China's Wu Yu in the pre-quarterfinals on August 1.
Let's back our golden girl, let's #Cheer4Bharat! pic.twitter.com/89RlSaSZss
India’s emerging tennis star, Sumit Nagal went down fighting to France's , Moutet Corentin in three sets. Sumit after losing the first set at 6-2, fought back gamely to win the second at 6-2 but went down fighting in the third and the decider at 5-7.
Arjun Babuta qualified for the finals in the 10 m Air Rifle for men with a score of 630.1 while Sandeep Singh just missed making the medal round with a score of 629.3.
Balraj Panwar, who had finished fourth in Heats in men’s single sculls in Rowing, made it to the quarter-final through repechage by finishing second in his group.
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