Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh created history by winning the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team shooting event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday. This marks India’s sixth Olympic medal in shooting and the first-ever in a shooting team event. Additionally, Manu Bhaker becomes the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in one edition of the Olympics, following her historic win on Sunday as the first Indian woman to secure an Olympic medal in shooting.
The Bronze Medal Match- Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot Singh
Competing at the National Shooting Center in Chateauroux, the Indian duo defeated the Republic of Korea’s Oh Ye Jin and Wonho Lee 16-10 in the bronze medal match. Oh Ye Jin, the gold medalist in the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday, posed a formidable challenge.
- Strong Start: Manu Bhaker shot a 10.2 on her opening shot. Despite Sarabjot Singh’s initial 8.6, which cost India the first two points, he quickly recovered with scores of 10.5, 10.4, and 10, helping India gain the next six points.
- Consistent Performance: Manu Bhaker hit at least a 10 on her first seven shots. The South Korean team, led by the consistent Oh Ye Jin, narrowed the gap from 8-2 to 14-10.
- Final Shots: Oh Ye Jin’s 9 and her partner’s 9.5 in the final round couldn’t outdo Manu Bhaker’s 9.4 and Sarabjot Singh’s decisive 10.2, securing the bronze for India.
The Indian shooters hit at least a 10 on 19 of their 26 shots, while the South Koreans managed 12 shots hitting a minimum of 10.
Path to the Medal Match
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured third place in the qualifying round on Monday, advancing to the bronze medal match. The top two teams, Turkiye’s Sevval Ilayda Tarhan-Yusuf Dikec and Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic-Damir Mikec, contested the gold medal match, with Serbia emerging victorious 16-14.
India’s Shooting Legacy
- Historic Wins: This medal is a significant addition to India’s Olympic shooting achievements, which include Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s silver in men’s double trap (Athens 2004) and Abhinav Bindra’s gold in men’s 10m air rifle (Beijing 2008).
- Previous Medals: India’s previous double medal haul in shooting was at London 2012, with Gagan Narang (men’s 10m air rifle) and Vijay Kumar (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol) winning silver and bronze, respectively.
- Recent Performances: The Paris 2024 success breaks a dry spell from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, where Indian shooters did not win any medals.
Looking Ahead
Manu Bhaker will also compete in the women’s 25m pistol event, starting on Friday. She is the only athlete from the 21-member Indian shooting team to participate in multiple individual events.
With this historic victory, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh have not only brought glory to India but also inspired future generations of shooters. Their remarkable performance at Paris 2024 underscores the growing prowess of Indian shooters on the global stage.
