Manu Bhaker Makes History at Paris Olympics, Wins Bronze with Sarabjot Singh in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event

Paris July 30 2024 : India celebrated its second medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics as Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh clinched bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on Tuesday. The Indian shooting pair delivered an impressive performance, defeating South Korea with a score of 16-10 in the bronze medal match, doubling India’s medal tally in shooting at the Games.

Manu and Sarabjot had qualified for the bronze medal match on Monday. This victory marks a historic achievement for Manu Bhaker, who becomes the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal and the first athlete from independent India to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games. This accomplishment adds to her legacy, achieved at just 22 years of age.

India has seen many celebrated Olympic athletes over the years, including KD Jadhav, Major Dhyan Chand, Karnam Malleswari, Abhinav Bindra, Saina Nehwal, Sushil Kumar, PV Sindhu, and Neeraj Chopra. However, none have achieved the feat of winning multiple medals at a single Olympics, a milestone Manu Bhaker has reached in her second Games. She now has the opportunity to achieve a hat-trick of medals in the 25m air pistol event.

Details of the Match

The competition was conducted in a race-to-16-points format, with the first pair to reach 16 points declared the winners. The South Korean team started strong with a score of 20.5 points, while Manu and Sarabjot began with 18.8, giving Korea the initial two-point lead. However, the Indian duo quickly responded in the second series, tying the score at 2-2 as Manu scored 10.7 and Sarabjot 10.5.

Sarabjot and Manu took the lead in the next round, both shooting 10.4, bringing their total to 20.8 points. Korea scored 19.8, giving India a 4-2 lead. India extended their advantage to 6-2 with another series win, as Manu and Sarabjot scored 20.7 against Korea’s 20.5.

After Korea called a timeout, India won the fifth series, advancing to 8-2. Sarabjot scored 9.6, and Manu’s impressive 10.6 brought India to 20.1 against Korea’s 19.5. Korea rallied in the sixth series, with Oh Ye Jin scoring a remarkable 10.8, narrowing the score to 8-4. However, Manu and Sarabjot quickly regained their momentum, winning the seventh series and leading 10-4. Despite occasional stumbles by Sarabjot, Manu consistently hit around the 10.4 and 10.5 mark.

In the following series, Manu scored 8.3 and Sarabjot 10.2, while Korea’s 20.7 won them the series, bringing the score to 10-6. India then took a timeout, during which their coach spoke to Manu and adjusted Sarabjot’s shooting arm. The timeout proved effective as Sarabjot shot a superb 10.5 and Manu hit a perfect 10, leading India to a score of 20.5 against Korea’s 19.4, increasing India’s lead to 12-6.

Manu and Sarabjot maintained their excellent performance, scoring 20.8, while the Koreans managed only 19.4, pushing India’s lead to 14-6. However, in the next series, Manu scored 9.6 and Sarabjot 9.7, resulting in a loss for India, but they maintained a healthy lead at 14-8. The Koreans fought back, winning the subsequent series with a total score of 21.0 against India’s 20.2, narrowing the score to 14-10.

Despite this comeback, India remained in a strong position, just one series win away from clinching the match and securing the bronze medal. In the final series, India scored 19.6 against South Korea’s 18.5, sealing the victory with a decisive 16-10 win.