India’s shooting star, Manu Bhaker, has clinched a spot in the final of the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event at the Paris Olympics, marking the country’s first major medal hope for the Games. Bhaker, showcasing an impressive performance, finished third in the qualification round on Saturday.
In the qualification phase, Bhaker exhibited her prowess with a consistent display of precision. She scored 97 points in the initial two series, followed by 98 points in the third series, and concluded with 96 points in the final three series. Her total score of 580-27x secured her a place among the top eight shooters, advancing her to the final.
Hungary’s Veronika Major topped the qualification with 582-22x points, while South Korea’s Ye Jim Oh followed closely in second place with 582-20x. Unfortunately, Bhaker’s teammate Rhythm Sangwan did not advance to the final, finishing 15th with a total of 573-14x points.
Earlier in the day, Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema also fell short in the men’s 10m Air Pistol event. Singh finished 9th with 577-16x points, while Cheema was 18th with 574-17x points, failing to reach the top eight for the medal round. The qualification process involved 60 shots over 75 minutes, with only eight shooters moving on to the final.
India’s shooting campaign at the Paris Olympics began with some setbacks as well, with Indian teams failing to advance in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team events. The pairs of Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh, and Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal, could not secure spots in the medal matches. Babuta and Jindal finished 6th with 628.7 points, narrowly missing out on the final four, while Valarivan and Singh ended up in 12th place with 626.3 points.
The Women’s 10m Air Pistol final, featuring Manu Bhaker, is set to be a key event for India as they seek their first medal in shooting at these Olympics.
