Following her historic achievement of securing a medal at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, India's top shooter Manu Bhaker expressed gratitude to the Indian government for their unwavering support and encouragement. Bhaker clinched the bronze medal in the women's Air Pistol event, finishing third in the final. At the age of 22, she made history as the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. Bhaker's victory marked India's inaugural medal in the current mega event, scoring 221.7 to win bronze.
Responding to a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, Bhaker thanked him for his support, emphasizing how significant it was to her. "Thank you Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for your blessings. I would like to thank the government for all the support and encouragement. It means a lot," she posted on X. Earlier, PM Modi had congratulated Bhaker on her achievement, noting her historic win as India's first medal at the Paris Olympics.
"A historic medal! Well done, @realmanubhaker, for winning India's first medal at #ParisOlympics2024! Congrats for the Bronze. This success is even more special as she becomes the 1st woman to win a medal in shooting for India. An incredible achievement!" PM Modi wrote on X. Bhaker's victory was particularly poignant after her disappointment at the Tokyo games due to a pistol malfunction. She became the first Indian woman in 20 years to reach a shooting final in an individual Olympic event since Suma Shirur in 2004.
In the final, South Korea's Ye Jin won the gold with an Olympic record score of 243.2 points, while her compatriot Kim Yeji took silver with 241.3 points. On the opening day, Bhaker secured her place in the final by finishing third in the Women's 10 Metre Air Pistol qualification round.
