India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, defeating South Korea in a nail-biting encounter. The Indian pair, who had finished third in qualifying with a combined score of 580, faced a challenging start, losing the first series. However, they quickly regrouped and led 4-2 after the third series, extending their lead to 8-2 after five series. Despite South Korea narrowing the gap to 6-10 after the eighth series, the Indian duo maintained their composure and secured victory with a comfortable margin.
Bhaker expressed her pride and gratitude following the historic feat. “I feel really proud and have a lot of gratitude,” she said. “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.”
Sarabjot, who earned his first Olympic medal, echoed Bhaker’s sentiments. “It feels great,” he said. “The game was tough, but we were glad we could do it. There was a lot of pressure, but the crowd was great.”
This victory marks a significant achievement for the Indian shooting contingent. Sarabjot’s first Olympic medal is a testament to his hard work and dedication, while Manu Bhaker etched her name in the history books as the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games. She had earlier secured a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event, opening India’s account at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
