The people for India cheered for Manu Bhaker as she fought back tears after narrowly missing a third medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Saturday.
The 22-year-old had earlier bagged two bronze medals, in women’s 10m air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event partnering Sarabjot Singh.
Bhaker’s luck was not in her favour as she finished fourth in the 25m pistol event and missed out on winning out a third indivial medal at the Olympics.
After the event ended in a huge disappointment for Bhaker, she was seen dejected and trying hard to fight back tears.
However, social media came to her rescue by declaring her as a ‘Champ’ and ‘Queen’
Netizens also didn’t stop pouring out heartfelt congratulatory notes for the ace shooter and pointed out that her performance had made all Indians proud
They also encouraged her to aim for a gold medal the next time.
With a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, gold medals at the World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympic Games, Manu Bhaker has become the most successful Indian woman shooter in history at a very young age.
Born on February 18, 2002 in Jhajjar, Haryana, she took to sports like tennis, skating and boxing in school and also participated in a form of martial arts called ‘thang ta’, winning medals at the national level.
She then impulsively decided to try her hand at shooting when she was just and loved it.
Although a pistol malfunction had denied Bhaker a shot at a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she worked hard to emerge as the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting.
Bhaker, at the age of 16 years, became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at an ISSF World Cup.