In the qualification round, Manu Bhaker scored a perfect 100 and finished second with a total of 583 points, securing her spot in the final. (Photo: Social Media)
India’s two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker clinched the bronze medal at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. She scored 219.7 in the women’s 10m Air Pistol final, finishing behind Korea’s Jiin Yang (221.3) and China’s Qianke Ma (223.1).
Bhaker, 23, showed great skill during the event. In the qualification round, Manu Bhaker scored a perfect 100 and finished second with a total of 583 points, securing her spot in the final.
Bhaker began the final slowly despite her impressive qualifications. After the first five shots, she ranked fifth. She gradually improved, hitting 10.5 on the 11th shot to climb to second place temporarily. However, a 9.7 on her 17th shot put her on the brink of elimination. “But Manu kept her calm and managed a podium finish in the end,” sources said.
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This medal marks her 10th podium finish at the Asian Shooting Championships.
Manu Bhaker also contributed to India’s team bronze in the same championship. Partnering with Suruchi Phogat and Palak Gulia, the Indian team scored 1730, behind China (1740) and Korea (1731). This result adds another highlight to India’s performance at the event.
While Bhaker shone, other Indian shooters could not make the podium. Suruchi Singh scored 574, finishing 10th. Palak Gulia ended in 13th place with 573 points. Esha Singh, competing with the RPO system, scored 577 to finish ninth.
Indian shooters are still motivated by Bhaker's steady performance. She is still a serious contender for future international competition, such as the Olympics in Paris, after her impressive performance at the Asian Championship.
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