Manu Bhaker, born on February 18, 2002, is an Indian Olympian shooter who made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She clinched two bronze medals: one in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal and another in the mixed 10-meter air pistol team event with partner Sarabjot Singh. She became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the same Olympics and the first Indian to win two medals at the Olympics since India’s independence thanks to this accomplishment.
Early in her career, Bhaker won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the age of 16. She also became the youngest Indian to win gold at an ISSF World Cup in 2018.
Early Life:
In the Jhajjar district of Haryana’s Goria hamlet is where Manu Bhaker was born. In the Merchant Navy, her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, is a chief engineer. Before taking up shooting, Manu excelled in various sports, including Huyen Langlon (a Manipuri martial art), boxing, tennis, and skating, winning medals at national competitions.
Career:
Bhaker’s entry into competitive shooting was supported by a ₹1,50,000 investment from her father. She achieved international success early on, winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. At the 2017 National Games in Kerala, she won nine gold medals, including breaking Heena Sidhu’s record with a score of 242.3 points.
Bhaker defeated Alejandra Zavala of Mexico to win gold in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. She became the youngest Indian to win a World Cup gold medal at age 16. She later secured a second gold in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event with Om Prakash Mitharval.
With a record-breaking 240.9 points in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event, Bhaker won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Although she set a record score in the qualification round of the 25-meter air pistol event at the 2018 Asian Games, she finished 6th in the final.
Bhaker also won gold at the Youth Olympics in 2018, becoming the first Indian shooter and the first female athlete from India to win a gold medal at these games. In February 2019, she won gold in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi.
In May 2019, Bhaker qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by securing fourth place at the Munich ISSF World Cup, despite an issue with her pistol during the 25-meter event finals.
Throughout 2019, she won gold in the 10-meter air pistol mixed event at all four ISSF World Cups, partnering with Saurabh Chaudhary. At the 2022 Asian Games, Bhaker won team gold in the women’s 25-meter pistol event alongside Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan.
Her remarkable achievements continued with her bronze medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, solidifying her place as a trailblazer in Indian shooting.