Chateauroux, July 30 (IANS) Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured a bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The duo showcased resilience and composure, overcoming a slow start to defeat South Korea 16-10 in a thrilling match on Tuesday.

The contest began with the Indian pair on the back foot, losing the first series. However, Bhaker and Singh quickly regained their footing, displaying exceptional skill and teamwork. They took control by the third series, leading 4-2, and extended their advantage to 8-2 after five series. South Korea mounted a comeback attempt, narrowing the gap to 6-10 by the eighth series, but Bhaker and Singh remained unflinching. The Indian shooters sealed the victory with a decisive 16-10 margin, securing India’s second medal of the Games.

After the match, an elated Bhaker expressed her gratitude, saying, “I feel really proud and have a lot of gratitude. Thank you so much for all the blessings and love. We can only control what is in our hands. I had a chat with my father regarding this before coming here and decided we should keep fighting till the last shot,” said to the broadcasters.

Sarabjot Singh, celebrating his first Olympic medal, echoed her sentiments. “It feels great. The game was tough, but we were glad we could do it. There was a lot of pressure, but the crowd was great,” he said, acknowledging the support that spurred them on. The pair had entered the bronze medal match after finishing third in the qualifying round with a combined score of 580.

This bronze is a historic personal achievement for Bhaker, who became the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games. She had previously opened India’s medal account in Paris with a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event.

–IANS

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Chateauroux, July 30 (IANS) Shooter Manu Bhaker said she is feeling a lot of gratitude for achieving the feat of becoming first Indian athlete to win two medals at a single edition of the Olympics on Tuesday.

Manu and Sarabjot Singh clinched the bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol Team event after registering a 16-10 victory over South Korea following 13 shots in the bronze medal playoff.

“I feel really proud. I feel a lot of gratitude to able to achieve this feat. It is just blessings. Thank you so much for all the blessings and love,” said Manu after the taking the historic bronze.

This was also Manu’s and India’s second medal at the Paris Games. She also has the chance to win a third medal when the 22-year-old features in the women’s 25m Pistol event.

In the bronze medal playoff, the South Korean team of Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin took the first series. The Indian duo, however, bounced back to lead 8-2. The contest took an exciting turn in the latter half as Korea managed to bounce back but India never looked like conceding their lead and sealed the victory.

“Actually, we can’t control anything; we can just try to do our best. Before coming here also, me and my partner were like, okay let’s try our best and however it goes, we will accept, and we will just keep fighting till the last shot,” said Manu.

Overall, Manu became the third Indian — after wrestler Sushil Kumar and shuttler PV Sindhu — to win more than one individual medal in the Olympics.

Sarabjot Singh, who bagged his first Olympic medal, is now the sixth Indian shooter to win a medal at the Summer Games.

“There was lot of pressure and the crowd amazing , So, I am really happy,” said Sarabjot.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore — Athens 2004, Abhinav Bindra — Beijing 2008, Vijay Kumar — London 2012, Gagan Narang — London 2012, Manu Bhaker – Paris 2024 are the other shooters to have won medals at the Olympics.

–IANS

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Chateauroux, July 30 (IANS) Chateauroux, July 30 (IANS) Manu Bhaker on Tuesday etched her name into the annals of Indian sports history. She became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games.

The 22-year-old shooter clinched a bronze medal in the 10m pistol mixed team event alongside Sarabjot Singh, defeating South Korea 16-10 at the Paris Olympics.

This achievement follows her earlier success, where she secured a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event, marking a significant milestone for Indian shooting.

Bhaker’s double podium finish not only opens India’s medal tally at the 2024 Paris Olympics but also places her in an elite group of Indian athletes. She joins P.V. Sindhu as the only Indian women to win two Olympic medals. Sindhu, the celebrated badminton star, first made history at the Tokyo Olympics by winning a bronze medal after defeating China’s He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15.

This added to her silver medal from the Rio Olympics, where she had a memorable run to the final, only to be bested by Spain’s Carolina Marin.

In the mixed team event, Bhaker and Singh displayed exceptional composure and skill. The Indian duo faced off against a strong South Korean team in the bronze medal match, showcasing their precision and teamwork. Bhaker, known for her steady hand and focus, was instrumental in maintaining India’s lead throughout the match. Their victory, secured with a decisive 16-10 scoreline, underscored Bhaker’s prowess and resilience under pressure.

After narrowly missing out on medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Bhaker’s performance in Paris has been a testament to her resolve and improvement.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) Two-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat has sought help from the Embassy of France in India and Sports Minister Manukh Mandaviya for a visa for her brother whose application was rejected earlier.

Vinesh earned the Paris Olympics quota in the women’s 50kg semifinal at the Asian Olympic qualifier. Taking to ‘X’ Vinesh wrote “Requesting @FranceinIndia to please grant a visa to my brother. He has submitted his second application on yesterday after his first visa application was rejected. It has been a lifelong dream to have my family watch me play at the Olympics. Need your help @mansukhmandviya sir.”

Earlier, Vinesh Phogat herself sought “urgent help” from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the Ministry of External Affairs, and other authorities after her visa for Spain got delayed.

Indian wrestlers Antim Panghal (women’s 53kg) and Aman Sehrawat (men’s 57kg) have been seeded fourth and sixth in their respective weight categories. The remaining four Indian wrestlers — Vinesh Phogat (women’s 50kg), Anshu Malik (women’s 57kg), Nisha Dahiya (women’s 68kg) and Reetika Hooda (women’s 76kg) — will be unseeded at Paris 2024. They will be randomly drawn into brackets the day before the women’s freestyle wrestling begins in Paris.

–IANS

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Chateauroux , July 30 (IANS) India’s 10m Air Pistol mixed team of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh clinch bronze medal after beating South Korea 16-10 at the Paris Olympics.

Paris Olympics: Manu, Sarbajot win 10m Air Pistol mixed team bronze, beats South Korea

This was an historic medal for Manu as she become the first Indian to win two medals at the same edition of the Olympics. Overall, third Indian to win more than one individual medal in the Olympics.

Sarabjot, on the toher hand, got his first Olympic medal.

Earlier, Manu won a bronze in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event.

This is India’s second medal in Paris.

More details to follow.

–IANS

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