A look at Manu Bhaker's performance at Asian Games 2022
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Manu Bhaker won gold in the women’s 25m pistol team event at the Asian Games 2022
Manu Bhaker entered the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games with a point to prove. At such a young age, the Indian shooter was already one of the brightest prospects of the Indian contingent, and there was a lot of pressure to bring home a medal.
Beyond carrying the hopes of over a billion Indian fans, Manu Bhaker arrived at the 2022 Games in Hangzhou with unfinished business. Here’s how she fared:
Manu Bhaker redeemed herself after the 2018 heartbreak
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At the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, a 16-year-old Bhaker arrived after winning gold at her very first ISSF World Cup appearance a few months earlier. Hence, expectations were at an all-time high, but Jakarta did not go to plan as she returned empty-handed.
Four years on, Bhaker made sure the Jakarta fate did not strike back. Partnering Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan in the women’s 25m pistol team event, she topped qualification with a score of 590, to set up a gold medal for India after the trio beat China across both the precision and rapid stages.
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It was Bhaker’s first Asian Games medal, and the colour gold further added to her prestige. However, the outing wasn’t a complete success. Bhaker also competed in the individual final alongside Esha, but while the latter won silver, the 21-year-old fell just shy of a bronze medal.
Overall, it was still a major checkpoint in Bhaker’s career. The shooting contingent was instrumental in India’s fourth-place finish, with Indian shooters accounting for an impressive haul of 22 medals.
The 2024 Olympics glory
The gold in Hangzhou proved to be a stepping stone to the finest year of Bhaker’s career. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting, clinching bronze in the individual 10m air pistol event before adding a second bronze in the mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh.
After Paris, Bhaker stepped away from competition for a few months to recover from the Games’ intensity. Her return in 2025 was not always smooth.
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She missed the podium in the individual 25m pistol at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kazakhstan. However, she did pick up bronze medals in the 10m air pistol individual and team events at the same meet, along with a team silver at the World Championships in Cairo.
The dip in form prompted a technical reset, including a switch in equipment and a reunion with her early coach Jaspal Rana, and it paid off in 2026, when she won an individual silver in the 25m pistol at the Asian Shooting Championships in New Delhi.
Now, all eyes are on the 24-year-old, who is all set to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The shooter from Haryana will be under considerable pressure as she aims for her best-ever showing at this edition of the Games.
When did Manu Bhaker make her Asian Games debut?
Manu Bhaker made her Asian Games debut during the 2018 Jakarta edition.
How many Asian Games medals has Manu Bhaker won?
Manu Bhaker has won just one gold medal at the Asian Games to date — 25 m pistol team.
In which events at Asian Games 2026 will Manu Bhaker participate?
Manu Bhaker will participate in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol and Women’s 25m Pistol individual and team events at Asian Games 2026.
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