NEW DELHI: India’s lone Olympic gold medalist in shooting Abhinav Bindra on Saturday praised Manu Bhaker for her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics, highlighting her as a key figure in Indian shooting.
Bhaker concluded her campaign with two bronze medals, finishing fourth in the women’s 25m pistol event, narrowly missing another medal.
Bhaker won her bronze medals in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event and the 10m Air Pistol mixed event. Her performance in the 10m Air Pistol event ended India’s 12-year wait for an Olympic medal in this category.
Additionally, she became the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals in a single Olympic Games edition.
Bhaker secured her spot in the Women’s 25m Pistol final, marking her third final appearance in the Paris Olympics after finishing second in the qualification event.
During the final, she was initially tied for third place with Veronika Major of Hungary but lost in the shoot-off, consequently finishing fourth.
Three years ago, at the Tokyo Olympics, a 19-year-old Manu Bhaker failed to win a medal in all three of her events. However, in Paris, she redeemed herself by reaching the finals in all three events and securing two bronze medals for India.
