Twitter Reactions: Indian cricket fraternity congratulates Manu Bhaker for winning bronze in Paris Olympics

Manu Bhaker won India's first medal at the Paris Olympics, as she secured a bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event. In 2008, Abhinav Bindra won gold while Vijay Kumar won bronze in the rapid-fire pistol event and Gagan Narang clinched bronze in the 10m air rifle competition in London 2012. Since then, India have struggled in this category but Bhaker finally ended the drought with a bronze.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, her rifle malfunctioned, leading to a disastrous performance. After this, the 22-year-old had a fallout with coach Jaspal Rana and parted ways with him. She also considered retirement after the event but eventually, didn’t do so. It was in 2023 when they reunited again and made history in Paris. She also became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. 

“After Tokyo, I was very disappointed, and it took me a very long time to overcome that. Frankly speaking, I really can't explain how good I am feeling today,” Baker said after winning the bronze.

Notably, she qualified for the second round with a score of 580 points, finishing third out of 45 competitors. In the second round, Bhaker faced stiff competition from South Korean shooters and was close to winning a silver but eventually settled for a bronze. Korea’s Oh Ye Jin secured the gold medal with 243.2 points while Kim Ye-ji finished second with 241.3. Bhaker was extremely close to qualifying for the final but missed it by the barest of margins as she secured 221.7 points.

Manu’s grandmother too was elated with her success and stated that she would cook something special when she returned home. “I bless her. She has done a great job. We will all welcome her once she is here. I will prepare a special food for her,” she said.

Indian cricket fraternity was elated with Bhaker’s success and congratulated her for winning bronze in the Paris Olympics. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke about her immense strength and determination while Mithali Raj talked about her precision. 

Here's how the Indian cricketers reacted to Manu Bhaker's historic Olympic medal moment: