Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker (born 18 February 2002) is an Indian Olympian who competes at shooting. She won a Bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She represented India at the 2018 ISSF World Cup and won two gold medals, becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup.[1] She won the gold medal in women's 10 m air pistol event at 2018 Commonwealth Games just at the age of 16 in her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance.[2][3] 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.[4]
Early lifeEdit
Manu Bhaker was born in Goria village of Jhajjar district in a Hindu Jat[5] family in Haryana.[6] Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. Until the age of 14, she excelled in other sports like Huyen langlon, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis and skating, winning medals at the national games in these events.[7]
CareerEdit
With an investment of ₹1,50,000 by her father,[7] Bhaker decided to take up competitive shooting. She first tasted 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[8] and defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and broke Sidhu's record of 240.8 points, scoring 242.3 points in the final.[7]
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. Bhaker scored 237.5 the final match against Zavalaa, who scored 237.1.[9] By winning the gold medal at age 16, Bhaker became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the World Cup.[1][10]
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.[11][12][13][14]
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.[15][16][17]
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 February 2019 she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Delhi.[18][19]
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.[20] She is set to compete in two individual pistol events and the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics 2024.
International careerEdit
Olympic GamesEdit
| 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 | 
|
Qualification: 580
Final : 221.7 |
World ChampionshipEdit
| 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 OlympicsEdit
| year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Youth Olympic Games | Buenos Aires | 10m air pistol women | 
|
Score:576; Final:236.5 |
| Mixed team 10m air pistol | 
|
score:751; Final:3 |
Junior World ChampionshipEdit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ISSF Junior World Championships | Lima | 10m air pistol women |
|
Score:574; Final:241.3 |
Junior World CupEdit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Junior World Cup | Sydney | 10-meter air pistol women |
|
Score:570; Final:235.9 |
| Mixed team 10m pistol air |
|
Score:770; Final:478.9 | |||
| 25m pistol women | 4th | Score:574; Final:18 | |||
| Suhl | 10m air pistol women |
|
Score:573; Final:242.5 | ||
| 25m pistol women | 5th | Score:579; Final:19 | |||
| Mixed team 10m air pistol |
|
Score:766; Final:474.4 |
World CupEdit
10m air pistol EventEdit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ISSF World Cup | New Delhi | 10m air pistol women |
|
Score:577; Final:236.7 |
| 2019 | ISSF World Cup | Putian | 10m air pistol women |
|
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 |
|
Score:772; Final:337.5 |
| Changwon | 10m air pistol women | 30th | Score:571 | ||
| Munich | 10m air pistol women | 47th | Score:567 |
25m Pistol EventEdit
| 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 EventEdit
| Year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ISSF World Cup | New Delhi | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:384; Final:16 |
| 2019 | ISSF World Cup Final | Putian | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:387; Final:17 |
| ISSF World Cup | New Delhi | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:778; Final:483.4 | |
| Beijing | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:482; Final:16 | ||
| Munich | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:591; Final:17 | ||
| 2018 | ISSF World Cup | Guadalajara | Mixed 10m air pistol |
|
Score:770; Final:476.1 |
| Changwon | Mixed 10m air pistol | 4th | Score:778; Final:378.6 | ||
| Munich | Mixed 10m air pistol | 34th | Score:758 |
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dutt, Tushar (6 March 2018). "Haryana shooter creates history, is youngest Indian to win World Cup gold". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ Scott, Chris (8 April 2018). "16-year-old breaks Commonwealth Games record to win shooting gold for India". CNN. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ Selvaraj, Jonathan (8 April 2018). "Bindra: Manu's talented but it will get tougher for her". ESPN. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ Singh, Philem Dipak (27 September 2023). "Asian Games: Indian trio bags gold in women's 25m pistol event". ThePrint. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ↑ Nijjar, Bakhshish Singh (2008). Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India: 900 B.C.-1947 A.D. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0908-7.
- ↑ "She aims to win | Manu Bhaker". India Today. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Manu Bhaker, jack of all trades but master of one, wins 10m pistol gold medal at World Cup". The Indian Express. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ PTI (24 December 2017). "Manu Bhaker picks up ninth gold at National Shooting Championship". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ↑ "Manu Bhaker, 16-year-old from Haryana, wins 2nd gold at ISSF shooting World Cup". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ "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. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ↑ "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. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ "ISSF World Cup: 16-year-old Manu Bhaker wins gold in women's pistol event". 5 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ↑ "Manu Bhaker shoots gold in Women's 10m Air Pistol". The Times of India. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ↑ "Manu Bhaker wins second gold at Shooting World Cup". The Times of India. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ↑ "CWG 2018: On debut, teenaged Manu Bhaker shoots gold, Heena Sindhu silver". The Times of India. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ 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. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ 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. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ Sharma, suposh (27 February 2019). "Bhaker, Chaudhry end World Cup on a high; win 3rd Gold for India". Sports Flashes. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
- ↑ NDTVSports.com. "ISSF World Cup 2019: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary Win Gold in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event | Shooting News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
- ↑ "Shooting World Cup: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary win gold for India in 10m Air Pistol mixed team event". India Today. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.