India's 1st medal at Paris Olympics: Manu Bhaker bags bronze in shooting

Shooter Manu Bhaker on Sunday (July 28) won India’s first medal – bronze at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

The 22-year-old Bhaker finished third to take the bronze medal in a closely contested women’s 10 metre Air Pistol event in Chateauroux, France.

Bhaker had a final score of 221.7 to win a historic medal, ending India's 12-year wait for a shooting medal. She is also the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal. She had qualified for the final on Saturday.

Koreans bag gold, silver

Koreans took the gold and silver. Kim Yeji claimed the silver with a total of 241.3 while her compatriot Jin Ye Oh snared the gold with a Games record of 243.2.

The last time India won medals at the Olympics was in the 2012 London edition when rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and 10m air rifle marksman Gagan Narang clinched bronze. Narang is now India's Chef de Mission in Paris.

Indian shooting endured two Olympics without a medal.

What Bhaker said

After the medal win, Bhaker said, "I feel great. It was a long-due medal for India. I was in the mood to do it. India deserves to win more medals. The feeling is surreal. I did a good job, and put in a lot of effort. This was a bronze... a better (one) next time.

"I read a lot of Gita. I do what I am supposed to do, destiny you can't control... As Lord Krishna says, "Focus on karma, not on the outcome of the karma." That's what I did... I thought, 'do your thing and let it all be'.   "

"After Tokyo (Olympics), I was very disappointed... I came back stronger. Past shall remain in the past."

PM Modi, Bindra congratulate Bhaker

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Bhaker for winning a historic medal. He hailed the achievement as "incredible".

"This success is even more special as she becomes the 1st woman to win a medal in shooting for India," he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Beijing Olympics shooting gold medallist Abhinav Bindra congratulated Bhaker and said that her relentless dedication, hard work, and passion had paid off.

"Heartiest congratulations to Manu Bhaker for clinching the bronze medal in the air pistol event at Paris 2024! Your relentless dedication, hard work, and passion have truly paid off. It's incredible to witness your skill and determination, bringing pride to India with each shot. This achievement is a testament to your perseverance and determination. Keep shining, Manu!" Bindra posted on his X account.