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

cs/

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

hs/

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

cs/bc

Paris, July 30 (IANS) Surfing competition at the Paris Olympics, scheduled for Tuesday, has also been called off due to bad weather conditions, the organisers said.

“The competition is OFF, 30/07/2024 7:00am GMT-10 with a color code of RED Technical delegates decision on color code tendencies for the next session is expected on 30/07/2024 at 17:45 GMT-10,” it said.

The organisers also said an update for the next session will be made at 17:45 local time (Tahiti) on Tuesday.

“No competition on Tuesday July 30 in Tahiti due to poor weather conditions: 4m+ wave and very strong onshore wind,” French Surfing Federation said in a statement.

–IANS

bc/

Washington, July 30 (IANS) Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round of the DC Open, defeating the world No. 35, Elise Mertens, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

In their last encounter at Wimbledon, Raducanu had breezed past Mertens, dropping just three games. She seemed on course for a similar result on Monday night, dominating the first set by winning five consecutive games.

However, Mertens adjusted her strategy in the second set. She cut down on errors and took advantage of Raducanu’s momentary lapse in concentration. The Belgian broke serve after Raducanu had a 40-0 lead in the sixth game, using that momentum to level the match by taking the second set 6-3.

The final set was a rollercoaster. Raducanu broke early to establish a 3-1 lead, but Mertens clawed her way back, breaking the Briton and saving two break points to even the score at 3-3. She saved five crucial break points in a tense service game, then broke Mertens once more.

Mertens fought valiantly, breaking back as Raducanu served for the match, but her 11th double fault of the match handed Raducanu a match point. The Brit seized the opportunity with a precise backhand volley, clinching the victory.

“I was playing some pretty good tennis in patches throughout. Especially in the first set and moments in the third set. I lost some focus in the second. It’s not easy playing at 11:30. I got here Thursday night so I’m still jet-lagged. I was telling myself, ‘I’m not leaving. This is not happening. You’re not losing this match,” Raducanu was quoted by WTA.

–IANS

hs/