New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday congratulated shooter Manu Bhaker on winning a historic bronze medal in the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris and said her feat will inspire many sportspersons, especially women.
Manu finished third in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol final with a total of 221.7 and opened India’s account in the medals tally in Paris on Sunday. She also became the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal in the Olympics.
“Heartiest congratulations to Manu Bhaker for opening India’s medal tally with her bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol shooting event at the Paris Olympics. She is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in a shooting competition. India is proud of Manu Bhaker. Her feat is going to inspire many sportspersons, especially women. I wish she scales greater heights of accomplishment in the future,” the official account of the President of India wrote on X.
Manu’s bronze also ended India’s 12-year-long wait for an Olympic medal in shooting. India’s last shooting medals came in the 2012 London Olympics when Vijay Kumar won silver in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol and Gagan Narang bagged bronze in 10m Air Rifle.
The 22-year-old from Jhajjar became the fifth Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal after Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (silver in 2004 in Athens), Abhinav Bindra (gold in 2008 in Beijing), Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang.
South Korea’s Oh Ye-Jin won gold in Women’s 10m Air Pistol with a total of 243.2 and a new Olympic Record while her countrymate Kim Ye-Ji took silver with a total score of 241.3.
(IANS)
