Manu Bhaker: A closer look at the personal life of the Paris Olympics bronze medalist

Manu Bhaker has made history in the Olympics for India by becoming the first woman to win a medal in shooting. She is still unmarried and at the age of 22 years, she has achieved something which she dreamt of as a kid.

Bhaker won a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics 2024 with a score of 221.7 in the Women's 10-meter Air Pistol Category. It is the first medal for India from the Paris Games.

The champion shooter was born in Goria village of Jhajjar district in Haryana and comes from a middle-class background. She is also an excellent student of sports such as Huiyen lallong, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis and skating.

Bhaker has started the medal tally for India and the fans back home will be waiting to give her a grand welcome.

Manu Bhaker and her journey to Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medal

Introduction to shooting for Manu happened after the age of 14. Her father invested ₹1,50,000 and motivated her to take up competitive shooting. Her first achievement came in 2017 when she won nine gold medals in National Games held in Kerala. She defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu.

In the 2018 Asian Games, Bhaker achieved a new record by scoring 593 points in the qualification round but she failed to win a medal. Her other major blow came in her Olympic debut in Tokyo where her pistol was jammed and Manu had to forfeit her name from the competition.

Through the years, the young shooter has continued to swell up her medal tally with laurels from Commonwealth Games, numerous ISSF World Cups, World Championships, Asian Shooting Championships among others.

Since her start at the competitive events, Manu has won 15 gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals - which also include the Olympic medal from Paris Olympics 2024. At the age of 22, Manu has become an inspiration for young shooters.

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