France:A resilient Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to claim an Olympic medal by snaring a bronze in the 10m air pistol event here on Sunday, a triumph that opened the country’s account in the Paris Games and ended a 12-year wait for its much-hyped shooters.
The last time India won shooting medals at the Olympics was in 2012 London edition where rapid-fire pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and 10m air rifle marksman Gagan Narang clinched silver and bronze respectively. Narang is the chef de mission of the Paris contingent right now.
The 22-year-old Bhaker, who hails from Jhajjar in Haryana, fought hard to get the bronze with a score of 221.7 here.
Korea’s Kim Yeji claimed the silver with a total of 241.3 while her compatriot Jin Ye Oh bagged the gold with a Games record of 243.2.
Bhaker was competing in her second Olympics after drawing a blank in the previous edition.
“After Tokyo I was very disappointed and it took me a very long time to overcome that. Frankly speaking, I really can’t explain how good I am feeling today,” Bhaker, whose Tokyo campaign had ended in tears after her pistol malfunctioned during the qualification of the same event, said with a wide smile on her face.
“I was fighting with all the energy I have. Really grateful that I could win the bronze. I read Bhagwat Gita and always tried to do what I am supposed to do, left everything else to god
“We can’t fight destiny,” added the world champion in 25m pistol event.
Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker doesn’t like to settle for second best, let alone third. But Sunday was an exception and as she spoke, delight mingled with relief after the pistol ace exorcised her Tokyo Olympic demons with a historic bronze medal in the ongoing edition of the Games.
Unwavering in her determination, which complements her incredible skills, the 22-year-old Bhaker became the first Indian woman shooter to claim an Olympic medal by snaring a bronze in the 10m air pistol event here.
“After Tokyo, I was very disappointed. It took me a long time to get over that,” Bhaker said on Jio Cinema after her win.