India's Manu Bhaker makes history with two medals at single Olympics

MANU Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh won the 10m air pistol mixed team bronze by defeating South Korea at the Olympics on Tuesday. The Indian pair secured a 16-10 victory, earning India its second medal at the event and making Bhaker the first Indian post-independence to win two medals in a single edition of the Games.

India led 4-2 after the third series and extended the lead to 8-2 after the fifth. Although South Korea narrowed the gap to 10-6 after the eighth series, the Indian duo maintained their composure and secured a comfortable victory.

Bhaker had earlier won a bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the same venue. She ended India’s 13-year wait for a shooting medal at the Olympics by winning bronze in the 10m air pistol event at the Paris Games on Sunday.

The last time India won shooting medals at the Olympics was in the 2012 London edition when Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang clinched bronze in rapid-fire pistol and 10m air rifle, respectively.

Bhaker is now only the fourth Indian after Norman Pritchard (athletics), Sushil Kumar (wrestling), and PV Sindhu (badminton) to win multiple medals for India at a Summer Games. However, no Indian has won multiple medals at a single edition until now.

Bhaker, born on February 18, 2002, in Jhajjar, Haryana, is a leading shooter who gained prominence with her international debut in 2017. She made history by winning gold in the 10m Air Pistol event at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and has since earned multiple medals at ISSF World Cups, including golds in both individual and mixed team events.

This marks Sarabjot’s first Olympic medal. Sarabjot, 22, hails from Ambala in Haryana and was educated in Chandigarh. He won a gold and silver medal each in the Asian Games last year in the 10m air pistol team and 10m air pistol mixed team events, respectively.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated the duo, saying, "Our shooters continue to make us proud!"

"Congratulations to Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh for winning the Bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the #Olympics. Both of them have shown great skills and teamwork. India is incredibly delighted. For Manu, this is her second consecutive Olympic medal, showcasing her consistent excellence and dedication," Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

(With inputs from PTI)