Paris Olympics 2024 | Shooting: Manu Bhaker rescues India from medal oblivion…at last!

The final shot from Manu Bhaker's pistol at Paris' Chateauroux Shooting Centre may not have resonated beyond the packed hall on Sunday afternoon, but its impact reverberated across India.

The quiet click of the trigger was a triumphant bang that lifted the spirits of over a billion Indians back home.

‘Shabaash Manu!', ‘Chak De India!', ‘Manu jeet gayi!' - were some of the most frequently chanted cheers from the predominantly India-supporting crowd.

In the country's Olympic history since its Beijing edition, no individual medal has held such significance in this discipline for so many people.

For Bhaker, it was more than a personal victory, it symbolised redemption for an entire nation. The long-standing scepticism about India's potential in shooting events at the Olympics was shattered, and the dismissive notion that ‘no shooter in current times is good enough to win a medal' was finally put to rest.

The global media observed with a mix of bemusement and curiosity as grown adults in India danced like children, their faces wet with tears of joy. The sheer improbability of Bhaker's victory added to the emotional crescendo.

The script for the women's 10m air pistol final seemed tailor-made for a suspenseful narrative, some would say!

Bhaker, who had qualified for the final on Saturday with a total score of 580, exuded a calm and collected demeanour as the first round approached. Her initial five shots - a stellar 52.2 - set an impressive tone for what was yet to come. She followed this with a score of 50.1 in Series 2, bringing her total to 100.3. Gradually, Bhaker chipped away at the lead of Korea's Ye Jin Oh, staying put in second place for a little while.

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Inside the hall, a profound silence enveloped the audience, amplifying the suspense. It was in this moment of heightened pressure that champions are truly forged, and the 22-year-old showcased her remarkable composure.

Kim Yeji managed to close the gap by the end of the five-shot series, relegating Bhaker to third place. Bhaker finished with 22 shots, accumulating a score of 221.7, but narrowly missed out on the silverware by just 0.1 points in the penultimate series.

Bronze it was, and Bhaker's smile, though restrained, spoke volumes of her triumph.

Turning to embrace coach Jaspal Rana, who had trained her for months away from prying media, Bhaker's modesty was evident.

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When asked about her feelings, she responded with characteristic serenity. "After Tokyo, I was very disappointed and it took me a very long time to overcome that. Frankly speaking, I really can't explain how good I am feeling today. I was fighting with all the energy I had. Grateful that I won the bronze. I read the Bhagwat Gita and always tried to do what I was supposed to do, left everything else to god. We can't fight destiny (sic)," Manu told reporters.

Back in Haryana's Jhajjar, the Bhaker household wore a festive look with relatives and family friends pouring in to celebrate the occasion.

Happiness knew no bounds among the Bhakers. Manu's uncle Baljeet Singh said he had been nervous but hopeful of a gold medal. "We hoped for a gold medal but we are still happy. She is the youngest Indian woman to win a medal. She is very hard-working. We hope in the remaining events, she will clinch gold medals," he told ANI. "I am really happy today. She is not only my daughter, she is the daughter of the nation. The entire country is proud of Manu, two of her events are remaining we expect her to perform better. Manu got a lot of support from the government and the federation. She could achieve this only because of the blessings of the people of the country. This is a huge achievement. (sic)", Manu's father Ram Kishan Bhaker was quoted as saying.

Sunday's bronze marked India's first Olympic medal in women's 10m air pistol individual event and fifth overall in shooting. The first came from Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who etched his name in the annals of India's Olympic history with a silver medal in men's double trap at the 2004 Athens Games. After a lengthy hiatus, Abhinav Bindra gave Indians a reason to cheer with his gold-medal feat in 2008. Four years later, Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar secured bronze and silver in men's 10m air rifle and 25m rapid fire pistol respectively In London.