Manu Bhaker

Manu Bhaker
Personal information
Born18 February 2002 (2002-02-18) (age 22)
Goria, Jhajjar district, Haryana, India
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
SportShooting
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's shooting
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympics 0 0 2
World Championships 1 1 0
Asian Games 1 0 0
World Cup 9 2 0
Youth Olympic Games 1 1 0
ISSF Junior World Championships 4 0 1
Commonwealth Games 1 0 0
Total 17 4 3
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 10 m air pistol
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 10m air pistol mixed team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Baku 25 m pistol team
Silver medal – second place 2022 Cairo 25 m pistol team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 25m pistol team
ISSF World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Putian 10m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2019 Putian 10m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2018 Guadalajara 10 m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2018 Guadalajara 10 m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2019 New Delhi 10 m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Beijing 10m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Munich 10m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Rio de Janeiro 10m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2021 New Delhi 10 m air pistol mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2021 New Delhi 10m air pistol
Silver medal – second place 2021 Osijek 10m air pistol mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Bhopal 25m pistol
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Granada 10m air pistol
Asian Shooting Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 10 m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 10 m air pistol mixed team
Asian Airgun Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Taoyuan 10m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2019 Taoyuan Mixed team 10m air pistol
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 10 m air pistol
Youth Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Buenos Aires 10 m air pistol
Silver medal – second place 2018 Buenos Aires 10 m air pistol mixed team
ISSF Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol team
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lima 10 m air pistol mixed team
Gold medal – first place 2021 Lima 25 m air pistol team
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Lima 25 m air pistol
ISSF Junior World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Sydney 10m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2018 Suhl 10m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2018 Sydney Mixed team 10m air pistol
Silver medal – second place 2018 Suhl Mixed team 10m air pistol
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 10 m air pistol
Gold medal – first place 2021 Chengdu 10 m air pistol team

Manu Bhaker (born 18 February 2002) is an Indian sport shooter and Olympic medalist. She won two bronze medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She secured a bronze in the women's 10 metre air pistol event, becoming the first female shooter from India to win a medal at any Olympics.[1] Subsequently, she earned another bronze medal in the mixed 10 metre air pistol team event, becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at an Olympics.[2][3][4]

Previously, Bhaker won a gold at the 2022 Asian Games in the women's 25m pistol team event.[5]. She earned her individual gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the women's 10m air pistol event, wherein she set a new Commonwealth Games record.[6] Earlier, she had become the youngest Indian to win a gold at ISSF World Cup in 2018 at the age of 16.[6][7][8]

Early life and education

Manu Bhaker was born in Goria village of Jhajjar district in Haryana.[9] Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy, while her mother Sumedha Bhaker, a masters degree holder in Sanskrit, and was the principal of the school at Goria, and hails from an educationist family of Kalali village in Charkhi Dadri district.[10] Manu Bhaker did her schooling at "Universal Higher Senior Secondary School" at Goria village, which was started by her grandfather Raj Karan.[10]

During her schooling, she participated in multiple sports such as tennis, skating, Manipuri martial-art thang-ta and boxing [10][11], earning several medals at the national games in these sports.[11][12] As a 14-year-old, Bhaker decided to focus on shooting sport, and with an investment of Rs. 1,50,000 by her father, she decided to take up competitive shooting.[11] Her favorite foods have been fresh fruits as well as fresh raita (yogurt), while for an occasional sweet dish, she prefers Churma.[10]

Career

2016–2020

In 2016, Bhaker started training with her first coach, Anil Jakhar and prepared for the junior world tournaments.[10] She earned her first success at the international level when she won the silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. In the 2017 National games held at Kerala, Bhaker won nine gold medals[13] and defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and broke Sidhu's record of 240.8 points, scoring 242.3 points in the final.[11]

In the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup held at Guadalajara, Mexico. Bhaker won the gold medal in the Women's 10-meter air pistol, defeating Mexico's Alejandra Zavala, a two-time champion.[14] Bhaker scored 237.5 the final match against Zavalaa, who scored 237.1.[15]

Bhaker won her second gold medal at the World Cup in the 10-meter Air Pistol mixed team event. She was paired with fellow countryman Om Prakash Mitharval. The pair shot a score of 476.1 points, defeating Sandra Reitz and Christian Reitz who scored 475.2.[16][17][18][19]

Bhaker scored 388/400 points at 2018 Commonwealth Games in women's 10m air pistol qualifying round and qualified for the finals. In the final round of the women's 10m air pistol event during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she secured the gold medal with setting a new Commonwealth Games record of 240.9 points.[20][21][22]

In 2018 Asian Games, she scored a game's record score of 593 in the qualification round of 25m Air pistol event. But she failed to win a medal there, as she finished 6th in the final. Eventually, her compatriot Rahi Sarnobat clinched the Gold in this event.

At the Youth Olympics 2018, Manu Bhaker shot 236.5 to stand at the top of the points table in the women's 10m air pistol event. The Indian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics is also the World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medalist. The 16-year-old Manu became the first shooter from India and the first female athlete from India to grab a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games.

In 2018, national pistol coach Jaspal Rana was the mentor for Bhaker and said that “ Manu is mentally very strong" and we need to groom talented shooters like her for the 2020 Olympics”.[11]

In February 2019 she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Delhi.[23][24]

In May 2019 she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event via a fourth place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup. This came days after her pistol jammed in the finals of the 25m pistol event when she was leading, eventually forcing her to forfeit due to her gun not being able to fire.

In all the four Pistol & Rifle ISSF World Cups in 2019, she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed event with Saurabh Chaudhry as her partner, making the pair a strong contender for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[25]

2021–2024

She won the team gold for India in the women's 25m pistol team event at the 2022 Asian Games, along with Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan.[26].

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Bhaker won two bronze medals. First, she won bronze in the women's 10 metre air pistol event, becoming the first female shooter from India to win a medal at any Olympics.[1] Next, she won another bronze medal in the mixed 10 metre air pistol team event, wherein she partnered with fellow team mate, Sarabjot Singh.[2] She became first Indian to win two medals at an Olympics since independence of India.[3][4]

International career

Olympic Games

year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2020 Olympic Games Tokyo 10m air pistol women 12th 575
25m pistol women 15th 582
10m air pistol mixed team 7th Stage 1: 582; Stage 2: 380
2024 Olympic Games Paris 10m air pistol women 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Qualification: 580

Final : 221.7

10m air pistol mixed team 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Qualification: 580

Final : 16–10

25m pistol women 4th Qualification: 590

Final : 28

World Championship

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 ISSF World Championships Changwon 10m air pistol women 13th Score:574
Mixed team 10m air pistol women 12th Score:767
25m pistol women 10th Score:584

Youth Olympics

year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 10m air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:576; Final:236.5
Mixed team 10m air pistol 2nd place, silver medalist(s) score:751; Final:3

Junior World Championship

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2021 ISSF Junior World Championships Lima 10m air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:574; Final:241.3

Junior World Cup

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 Junior World Cup Sydney 10-meter air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:570; Final:235.9
Mixed team 10m pistol air 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:770; Final:478.9
25m pistol women 4th Score:574; Final:18
Suhl 10m air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:573; Final:242.5
25m pistol women 5th Score:579; Final:19
Mixed team 10m air pistol 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Score:766; Final:474.4

World Cup

10m air pistol Event

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2021 ISSF World Cup New Delhi 10m air pistol women 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Score:577; Final:236.7
2019 ISSF World Cup Putian 10m air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:578; Final:244.7
ISSF World Cup Munich 10m air pistol women 4th Score:582; Final:201.0
New Delhi 10m air pistol women 14th Score:573
Beijing 10m air pistol women 17th Score:575
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara 10m air pistol women 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:772; Final:337.5
Changwon 10m air pistol women 30th Score:571
Munich 10m air pistol women 47th Score:567

25m Pistol Event

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara 25m pistol women 5th Score:581; Final:19
2019 ISSF World Cup New Delhi 25m pistol women 5th Score:590; Final:22
Munich 25m pistol women 5th Score:585; Final:21
Beijing 25m pistol women 17th score:82

Mixed Team Event

Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2021 ISSF World Cup New Delhi Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:384; Final:16
2019 ISSF World Cup Final Putian Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:387; Final:17
ISSF World Cup New Delhi Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:778; Final:483.4
Beijing Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:482; Final:16
Munich Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:591; Final:17
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara Mixed 10m air pistol 1st place, gold medalist(s) Score:770; Final:476.1
Changwon Mixed 10m air pistol 4th Score:778; Final:378.6
Munich Mixed 10m air pistol 34th Score:758

After winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Manu Bhaker's management, IOS Sports & Entertainment, took legal action against several brands for unauthorized use of her image in advertisements. This was in line with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines, which require explicit permission for such use.[27][28][29]

References

  1. ^ a b "Manu Bhaker wins India's 1st medal of Paris Olympics 2024, a bronze in 10m air pistol". The Indian Express. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Selvaraj, Jonathan (30 July 2024). "Manu Bhaker makes history as she claims a second bronze medal with Sarabjot Singh in 10m air pistol mixed team". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Good News: Manu Bhaker creates history in Paris Olympics". India Today. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Trailblazer Manu Bhaker first Indian to win two medals at same Olympics post-Independence". The Times of India. 30 July 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Who is Manu Bhaker? Meet India's 1st woman shooter to bag Olympic bronze, who also knows the Gita by heart". The Economic Times. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Dutt, Tushar (6 March 2018). "Haryana shooter creates history, is youngest Indian to win World Cup gold". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Who is Manu Bhaker? Meet 16-year-old Indian shooter who created history by winning second gold in World Cup". The Financial Express. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  8. ^ Scott, Chris (8 April 2018). "16-year-old breaks Commonwealth Games record to win shooting gold for India". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  9. ^ "She aims to win | Manu Bhaker". India Today. 10 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e "This bronze medal is like gold to us…': Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker's family in Haryana village". The Indian Express. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Manu Bhaker, jack of all trades but master of one, wins 10m pistol gold medal at World Cup". The Indian Express. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  12. ^ "South Korea's Oh Ye Jin sets Olympic shooting record for gold". ESPN.
  13. ^ PTI (24 December 2017). "Manu Bhaker picks up ninth gold at National Shooting Championship". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  14. ^ Selvaraj, Jonathan (8 April 2018). "Bindra: Manu's talented but it will get tougher for her". ESPN. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Manu Bhaker, 16-year-old from Haryana, wins 2nd gold at ISSF shooting World Cup". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  16. ^ "India's gold rush continues as Manu Bhaker, Om Prakash Mitharval finish first in 10m Air Pistol mixed team final". The Indian Express. 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  17. ^ "ISSF World Cup: 16-year-old Manu Bhaker wins gold in women's pistol event". 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Manu Bhaker shoots gold in Women's 10m Air Pistol". The Times of India. 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Manu Bhaker wins second gold at Shooting World Cup". The Times of India. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  20. ^ "CWG 2018: On debut, teenaged Manu Bhaker shoots gold, Heena Sindhu silver". The Times of India. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  21. ^ Rajaraman, G (8 April 2018). "Commonwealth Games 2018: Superwomen Manu Bhaker, Punam Yadav, Manika Batra lead charge as India end Day 4 on a high". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  22. ^ Rao, Santosh (8 April 2018). "Commonwealth Games 2018: Manu Bhaker, 16, Shatters Games Record To Clinch Gold, Heena Sidhu Bags Silver | Commonwealth Games News". NDTV. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  23. ^ Sharma, suposh (27 February 2019). "Bhaker, Chaudhry end World Cup on a high; win 3rd Gold for India". Sports Flashes. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  24. ^ NDTVSports.com. "ISSF World Cup 2019: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary Win Gold in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event | Shooting News". NDTVSports.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Shooting World Cup: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary win gold for India in 10m Air Pistol mixed team event". India Today. 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  26. ^ Singh, Philem Dipak (27 September 2023). "Asian Games: Indian trio bags gold in women's 25m pistol event". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  27. ^ Bhushan, Ratna (30 July 2024). "Warning shots fired at non-sponsor brands seeking to cash in on Manu Bhaker's Olympic success". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  28. ^ "Manu Bhaker's Team Sends Legal Notice To Brands For Unauthorised Olympic Celebratory Ads: Report". News18. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Paris 2024 Olympics: Why are brands getting legal notices for congratulating Manu Bhaker?". MensXP. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
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