December 25, 2024: Manu Bhaker’s achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics is truly groundbreaking, both for her personal career and for Indian sports. By winning two bronze medals in shooting events, she not only secured her place in history as the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal but also became the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to claim two shooting medals in a single edition of the Games. This feat had previously only been matched by Norman Pritchard in the 1900 Paris Games.
Her first medal came in the women’s individual 10m air pistol event, where she secured third place, and her second bronze came in the mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh, marking India’s first-ever Olympic shooting team medal. This achievement is especially significant given that it was a milestone after Bhaker’s tough experience at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where a malfunction in her pistol prevented her from competing at her best.
Bhaker’s perseverance and continued excellence have made her the most successful Indian woman shooter in history, with multiple golds in major international competitions like the World Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. Her journey, from excelling in a variety of sports as a young girl in Haryana to dominating the shooting range, is a testament to her adaptability, resilience, and focus.
Apart from Bhaker’s achievements, India’s overall performance in Paris 2024 also showcased a strong Olympic showing, with six medals in total—one silver and five bronze. This included contributions from shooters like Swapnil Kusale, track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra, and wrestler Aman Sehrawat. Neeraj Chopra’s silver in javelin, narrowly missing out on defending his gold from Tokyo, was another highlight. The men’s hockey team’s historic back-to-back bronze medals after 52 years also captured attention.
The Paris 2024 Olympics were a significant moment for Indian sports, not just in terms of medals, but in terms of the diversification and depth of talent across disciplines. Bhaker’s success in shooting adds another layer to India’s growing sporting culture and sets the stage for even greater achievements in the future.
