Manu Bhaker becomes first Indian female shooter in 20 years to reach individual final at Olympics

By Ajay Gandhar

Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has covered almost every Olympic sport, but Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field have his heart.

Published at :July 27, 2024 at 6:43 PM

Modified at :July 27, 2024 at 6:45 PM

Manu Bhaker becomes first Indian female shooter in 20 years to reach individual final at Olympics

Suma Shirir was the last female to reach the finals.

Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has achieved a remarkable feat at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 22-year-old has become the first Indian woman in 20 years to reach an Olympic final in an individual shooting event.

On Saturday, Bhaker performed exceptionally well in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol qualification round. She scored 580 out of 600 points, securing third place and a spot in the final. This performance has brought hope to the Indian shooting team after a disappointing start by other athletes.

Finally a good news India 😍🙌🏻Manu Bhaker has qualified for finals in Women's 10m pistol.Rhythm Sangwan missed out.#Paris2024 #ParisOlympics2024 #Olympics #Olympics2024Paris pic.twitter.com/XRFwZ2sMPO
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) July 27, 2024

To put this achievement into perspective, the last time an Indian woman made it to an individual shooting final at the Olympics was back in 2004. That year, Suma Shirur competed in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle event at the Athens Games, finishing eighth with a score of 497.2 points.

Bhaker’s success is even more remarkable given her recent challenges. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she struggled and faced criticism. But instead of giving up, she worked hard to improve. Her performance in Paris shows how much she has grown as an athlete.

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The final competition will take place on Sunday (July 28) at 3:30 PM Indian time. Bhaker now has a chance to win India’s first medal at these Olympics. This is exciting news for Indian sports fans.

In the qualification round, two other shooters scored slightly higher than Bhaker. Hungary’s Veronika Major and South Korea’s Ye Jin Oh both scored 582 points. Fellow Indian shooter, Rhythm Sangwan, also competed but finished 15th with 573 points.

It’s worth noting that Bhaker is competing in four different events at these Olympics. Doing well in one event while preparing for others shows her skill and focus.

After facing difficulties in Tokyo, Bhaker made a big decision. She went back to training with her former coach, Jaspal Rana. This choice seems to have helped her perform better in Paris.

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Ajay Gandhar

Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.