Recently awarded the name of Female Arjuna by her fans after securing two precious bronze medals for India, Manu Bhaker has achieved something that no other Indian shooter has in the past decade. After clinching bronze in the individual 10-meter pistol event, she once again took the spotlight, this time alongside Sarabjot Singh in the 10-meter pistol mixed event.
The duo dominated the Korean pair, winning 16-10 in the bronze-medal match in Paris. However, like any other athlete, Manu did not have an easy journey. She faced many hardships in the past that affected her, including a fresh wound from her debacle at the Tokyo Olympics. Although she has redeemed herself since then, people remain curious about what exactly happened with her at the last Olympics, which is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
Manu Bhaker Tokyo Olympics
Three years ago, Manu Bhaker faced a tough time at the Tokyo Olympics. Just before the Olympics, she also parted ways with her coach, Jaspal Rana. This led to rumors that Jaspal was favoring other shooters over her. However, it was later found that there was no truth to these rumors, as the duo reconciled and Jaspal is now Manu Bhaker’s coach again.
With her young age, Manu struggled to handle the pressure at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In all three events she participated in, she faced numerous challenges, including gun malfunctions and other unfortunate issues, which led to a breakdown in front of everyone.
Also, a pistol malfunction disrupted her rhythm and concentration during the 10 meter air pistol qualification rapid round, further complicating her performance. And failed to qualify for the finals. She finished 15th in the 10m air pistol event at Tokyo 2020.
Manu Bhaker Paris Olympics Schedule
- 1 August, 12:30 PM, 25m Pistol Women’s pre-event training
- 2 August, 12:30 PM, 25m Pistol Women’s Qualification Precision
- 2 August, 3:30 PM, 25m Pistol Women’s Qualification Rapid
- 3 August, 1:00 PM, 25m pistol women’s final