Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker after winning bronze in 10m air pistol mixed team on Tuesday. Photo: NRAI on X
G KRISHNAN
PARIS: Manu Bhaker became the first Indian post-independence to win two medals at a single Olympic Games.
On Tuesday at the Chateauroux National Shooting Centre, the 22-year-old Bhaker combined with fellow Haryanvi Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team bronz medal match as India won their second medal from the 33rd Olympic Games. The first was by Bhaker on Sunday when she clinched bronze in the 10m air pistol women's event.
The duo of Bhaker and Singh defeated South Korea's pair of Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin 16-10.
Bhaker joined sprinter Norman Pritchard in winning a second medal from the same Olympic Games for India. And, coincidentally, they have come in Paris, the same city where in 1900, the Kolkata-born British athlete Pritchard won silver in men's 200m and men's 200m hurdles. The other Indians to win two Olympic medals, though in different Games are wrestler Sushil Kumar (bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012) and shuttler PV Sindhu (silver in 2016 and bronze in 2020).
And, Bhaker is in line for a third medal when she enters the fray in the women's 25m pistol on August 2.
Bhaker said on Tuesday: "The feeling is surreal again. I had not hoped to win two Olympics in a single Olympics. Am looking forward to the next one (25m air pistol). I will try my best in my third event.
"Whenever I leave India for any competition, the only thing on my mind is to do everything possible to give my best. The Olympics is a special stage. With my Tokyo experience, I realise how special this win is. I can't claim this medal just for myself. The entire country supported me."
Singh looked delighted to win his first Olympic medal and conceded that there was no pressure on him. "We only said to each other that we will give our best. There was no pressure on us. I slept at 9.30pm, woke up at 5.30am and the hype was created at the range. I am happy that I am not able to express myself."
On Tuesday, India began with Bhaker shooting 10.2 and the 22-year-old Sarabjot, 8.6 for a total of 18.8 while the Korean duo tallied 20.5 to take a 2-0 lead after the first shot. However, in the next four shots, Bhaker shot two 10.7s and a 10.4 and 10.5 while Singh shot 10.5, 10.4, 10.0 and 9.6 as India raced to an 8-2 lead.
At the half-way stage, after seven shots, India maintained a 10-4 lead. This lead was good enough for India to win the bronze as in the race to 16 points, South Korea, though managed to come back to score 6-6 in the next six shots, India were well and truly home to win a prestigious second bronze.
In the 13 shots, Bhaker had only three sub-10 scores with the worst being 8.3 in the eighth while the 22-year-old Singh had four sub-10 scores.
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