Olympic Medallist Manu Bhaker’s maternal grandmother and uncle die in road accident

India’s Olympic shooting star Manu Bhaker’s maternal grandmother and maternal uncle passed away in a road accident on Sunday. The incident happened on Mahendragarh Bypass Road in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, when their scooter collided with a car.  According to the police, Manu Bhaker’s relatives were traveling on a scooter when it collided with a car. The driver of the car fled the scene. ASI Suresh Kumar said the police received information about the accident involving a scooter and a car. Both people on the scooter died. The car driver was not found at the spot. Soon after getting the reports of the incident Manu reached the residence of her maternal grandfather.

This tragic incident occurred just days after Manu Bhaker was honored with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.   The 22-year-old Manu Bhaker won two medals for India at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single Olympic edition. Bhaker opened India’s medal tally by winning a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol individual event. Later, she partnered with Sarabjot Singh to win another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, India’s first-ever team medal in shooting.

The Paris Olympics was Bhaker’s second appearance at the Games. She failed to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, after the disappointment in Tokyo, she made a strong comeback, winning team gold at the Asian Games.  Police are investigating the case and searching for the car driver.