Manu Bhaker secures India’s 11th Paris 2024 Olympic quota in shooting
Discover how Manu Bhaker earned India’s 11th quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics in shooting at the 15th Asian Shooting Championship in Changwon, Korea, despite missing out on a medal.
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker secured India’s 11th quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the shooting category at the ongoing 15th Asian Shooting Championship held in Changwon, Korea. Despite finishing fifth in the women’s 25m Pistol event, her performance clinched the much-desired spot for the upcoming Olympics. Although narrowly missing out on an international medal, her achievement marked a significant win for India in the championship.
Manu Bhaker shot a score of 24 in the final competition, ultimately losing in a shoot-off and missing a medal. Her placement allowed Iran’s Haniyeh Rostamiyan to claim the second position, disrupting China’s potential sweep in the event.
The Chinese contingent managed to secure most top spots, leaving only one quota available. With Haniyeh already holding a secured spot, Manu Bhaker’s performance in the championship secured India’s second quota for the Paris Olympics.
Advertisement
Expressing her thoughts after the event, Manu said, “My goal was to secure the quota because opportunities to earn them are limited. I’m glad to have achieved the quota, but winning a podium finish would have been better. I’ve been working on improvements and I believe I’m on the right path, but I need to work even harder from here.”
During the championship, Manu topped the qualification stage with a strong score of 591, while her teammates Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan finished 17th and 23rd, scoring 579 and 576, respectively.
India collected four more silver medals during the day, with Manu, Esha, and Rhythm securing the second position in the 25m pistol team event. Additionally, Divyansh Singh Panwar and Ramita lost the gold medal match 12-16 to a Chinese pair in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Simranpreet Kaur Brar also shone, winning double silver in the junior women’s 25m pistol event.
The championship showcased Manu Bhaker’s qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics and India’s overall commendable performance in various shooting events.
-IANS
