Indian Shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh Win Historic Bronze at Paris 2024 Olympics

Indian Shooting Duo Overcomes South Korea in Thrilling 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event

Paris: In a remarkable display of skill and resilience, Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh clinched the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday. This achievement marks a historic milestone for India, being the country’s sixth Olympic medal in shooting and the first-ever in a team shooting event.

Competing at the National Shooting Center in Chateauroux, the Indian duo secured a 16-10 victory over South Korea’s Oh Ye Jin and Wonho Lee in the bronze medal match. Oh Ye Jin, who had previously won the gold medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday, could not repeat her success in the team event.

Manu Bhaker’s consistent performance was a highlight of the match. She began strongly, scoring a 10.2 on her opening shot. Despite Sarabjot Singh’s initial stumble with an 8.6, he quickly regained his form with impressive scores of 10.5, 10.4, and 10, which helped India take the next six points. Bhaker maintained her precision, hitting at least a 10 on her first seven shots. The South Korean team fought back from an 8-2 deficit, bringing the score to 14-10, but their efforts fell short as Sarabjot Singh’s final shot of 10.2 secured the bronze for India.

Reflecting on their victory, Manu Bhaker expressed her joy, “It’s great. The first medal was really good and again the fight was really tough. It was neck to neck with each shot, like with my first bronze. But the last shot was Sarabjot’s, so big up to him.”

The Indian team showcased impressive accuracy, with 19 out of their 26 shots hitting at least a 10, while the South Korean team managed 12 such shots. This triumph adds to India’s growing legacy in Olympic shooting, with Bhaker becoming the first athlete of independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics. She also made history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting.

The journey to the bronze medal match saw Bhaker and Singh finishing third in the qualifying round, behind Turkey’s Sevval Ilayda Tarhan-Yusuf Dikec and Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic-Damir Mikec. The Serbian team ultimately won the gold medal, defeating Turkey 16-14.

This victory is a significant achievement for Indian shooting, especially considering the nation’s blank performance in shooting at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Historically, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won India’s first Olympic shooting medal with a silver in Athens 2004, and Abhinav Bindra secured India’s only gold in shooting at Beijing 2008.

Manu Bhaker’s journey at the Paris 2024 Olympics continues as she is set to compete in the women’s 25m pistol event on Friday. She remains the only athlete from the 21-member Indian shooting team participating in multiple individual events.

This bronze medal not only highlights the talents of Bhaker and Singh but also marks a significant chapter in India’s Olympic history, showcasing the nation’s potential and promise in the sport of shooting.