Hyderabad: India's ace shooter Manu Bhaker dedicated her bronze medal, which she won in the 2024 Paris Olympics, to the country and asserted that it's a dream come true moment not only for her but for the entire country.
Bhaker on Sunday clinched the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol individual event in the Paris Olympics 2024 and became India's first woman to win a medal in shooting. She also ended India's 12-year drought for a podium finish in shooting at the Summer Games.
Manu Bhaker started strong in the event amassing a total of 50.4 in the first five shots. She lost her second position to the Korean shooter Kim Yeji who took her tally to 101.5 and surpassed the Indian shooter by the end of the second series. It was then a close tussle between Manu and the Korean opponent for the second spot. She missed the silver medal by just 0.1 point.
Winning this medal is a dream come true, not just for me but for everyone who has supported me. I am deeply grateful to the NRAI, SAI, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Coach Jaspal Rana sir, Haryana government and OGQ. I dedicate this victory to my country for their incredible… pic.twitter.com/hnzGjNwUhv
— Manu Bhaker🇮🇳 (@realmanubhaker) July 28, 2024
The last time an Indian woman shooter had reached the final was in 2004 when Suma Shirur entered into the final of the 10m Air Rifle event. Manu Bhaker took to her X account and wrote, "Winning this medal is a dream come true, not just for me but for everyone who has supported me. I dedicate this victory to my country for their incredible support and love."
The 22-year-old also thanked the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and her coach Jaspal Rana for the support she received during the training days.
"I am deeply grateful to the NRAI, SAI, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Coach Jaspal Rana sir, Haryana government and OGQ," she added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Office also shared a video of his communication with Bhaker. "You missed the silver by 0.1 points, but still you have made the country proud. You're getting two kinds of credits, one for winning the bronze medal, and another for becoming the first female to win a medal for the country in shooting," Modi told the young shooter from Haryana.
In the Tokyo Olympics, Manu Bhaker couldn't compete in her event because of equipment failure and missed the chance to vie for the medal. However, this time around, she has chosen the correct equipment that helped to achieve the remarkable feat.
"In the Tokyo Olympics, the equipment failure cost you the medal, but you overcame everything and I am very confident that you will do better going forward because this win will motivate you and boost your confidence and it will benefit the country," said PM Modi.
The PM also asked her whether the arrangements were good or not in Paris. He asserted that his government is ensuring that all the athletes get better facilities and comfort. "Everything is fine here. We are getting nice facilities and all your efforts have been successful so far," replied Manu Bhaker.
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