Manu Bhaker

Manu Bhaker is an Indian olympian who plays airgun shooting. She represented India at the 2018 ISSF World Cup and won two gold medals. She is the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup.[1] She won the gold medal in women's 10 m air pistol event at 2018 Commonwealth Games just at the age of 16 in her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance.[2][3]

Manu Bhaker
Personal information
Born18 February 2002 (2002-02-18) (age 18)
Goria village, Jhajjar district, Haryana, India
OccupationSportsperson (Shooter)
Medal record
Representing India
Women's shooting
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games – – –
World Cup 8 – –
Youth Olympic Games 1 1 –
Commonwealth Games 1 – –
Asian Shooting Cior World Cup 3 1 –
Total 13 2 0
ISSF World Cup Final
2019 Putian China10m air pistol
2019 Putian China10m air pistol mixed team
ISSF World Cup
2018 Guadalajara10 m air pistol
2018 Guadalajara10 m air pistol mixed team
2019 New Delhi10 m air pistol mixed team
2019 Beijing10m air pistol mixed team
2019 Munich10m air pistol mixed team
2019 Rio de Janeiro10m air pistol mixed team
Asian Shooting Championships
2019 Doha10 m air pistol
2019 Doha10 m air pistol mixed team
Asian Airgun Championships
2019 Taoyuan Taiwan10m air pistol
2019 Taoyuan TaiwanMixed team 10m air pistol
Commonwealth games
2018 Goldcoast10 m air pistol
Youth Olympic Games
2018 Buenos Aires10 m air pistol
2018 Buenos Aires10 m air pistol mixed team
ISSF Junior World Cup
2018 Sydney10m air pistol
2018 Suhl10m air pistol
2018SydneyMixed team 10m air pistol
2018 SuhlMixed team 10m air pistol

Early life

Bhaker was born in Goria village of the Jhajjar district of Haryana.[4] Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy.[4] Until the age of 14 Bhaker excelled in other sports like Huyen langlon, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis and skating, winning medals at the national games in these events.[4]

Career

With an investment of ₹150000 by her father,[4] Bhaker decided to take up competitive shooting. She first tasted success at the international level when she won the silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. In the 2017 National games held at Kerala, Bhaker won nine gold medals[5] and defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and broke Sidhu's record of 240.8 points, scoring 242.3 points in the final.[4]

In the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup held at Guadalajara, Mexico. Bhaker won the gold medal in the Women's 10-meter air pistol, defeating Mexico's Alejandra Zavala, a two-time champion. Bhaker scored 237.5 the final match against Zavalaa, who scored 237.1.[6] By winning the gold medal at age 16, Bhaker became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the World Cup.[1][7]

Bhaker won her second gold medal at the World Cup in the 10-meter Air Pistol mixed team event. She was paired with fellow countrymen Om Prakash Mitharval. The pair shot a score of 476.1 points, defeating Sandra Reitz and Christian Reitz who scored 475.2.[8][9][10][11]

Bhaker scored 388/400 points at 2018 Commonwealth Games in women's 10m air pistol qualifying round and qualified for the finals. In the final round of the women's 10m air pistol event during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she secured the gold medal with setting a new Commonwealth Games record of 240.9 points.[12][13][14]

In 2018 Asian Games, she scored a game's record score of 593 in the qualification round of 25m Air pistol event. But she failed to win a medal there, as she finished 6th in the final. Eventually, her compatriot Rahi Sarnobat clinched the Gold in this event.

At the Youth Olympics 2018, Manu Bhaker shot 236.5 to stand at the top of the points table in the women's 10m air pistol event. The Indian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics is also the World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medalist. The 16-year-old Manu became the first shooter from India and the first female athlete from India to grab a Gold medal at the Youth Olympics games.

In February 2019 she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Delhi.[15][16]

In May 2019 she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event via a fourth place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup. This came days after her pistol jammed in the finals of the 25m pistol event when she was leading, eventually forcing her to forfeit due to her gun not being able to fire.

In all the four Pistol & Rifle ISSF World Cups in 2018, she won the Gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed event with Saurabh Chaudhry as her partner, making the pair a strong contender for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

International career

Summer Olympics
year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aries 10m air pistol women Score:576,Final:236.5
Buenos Aires Mixed team 10m air pistol score:751,Final:3

World Championship
Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 ISSF World Championships Changwon 10m air pistol women 13th Score:574
Changwon Mixed team 10m air pistol women 12th Score:767
Changwon 25m pistol women 10 Score:584

Junior World Cup
Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 Junior World Cup Sydney 10-meter air pistol women Score:570,Final:235.9
Sydney Mixed team 10m pistol air Score:770,Final:478.9
Sydney 25m pistol women 4th Score:574,Final:18
Suhl 10m air pistol women Score:573,Final:242.5
25m pistol women 5th Score:579,Final:19
Mixed team 10m air pistol Score:766,Final:474.4

World Cup

10m air pistol Event
Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2019 ISSF World Cup Putian 10m air pistol women Score:578,Final:244.7
ISSF World Cup Munich 10m air pistol women 4th Score:582,Final:201.0
New Delhi 10m air pistol women 14th Score:573
Beijing 10m air pistol women 17th Score:575
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara 10m air pistol women Score:772,Final:337.5
Changwon 10m air pistol women 30th Score:571
Munich 10m air pistol women 47th Score:567

25m Pistol Event
Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara 25m pistol women 5th Score:581,Final:19
2019 ISSF World Cup New Delhi 25m pistol women 5th Score:590,Final:22
Munich 25m pistol women 5th Score:585,Final:21
Beijing 25m pistol women 17th score:82

Mixed Team Event
Year Competition Venue Event Rank Score
2019 ISSF World Cup Final Putian Mixed 10m air pistol Score:387,Final:17
ISSF World Cup New Delhi Mixed 10m air pistol Score:778,Final:483.4
Beijing Mixed 10m air pistol Score:482,Final:16
Munich Mixed 10m air pistol Score:591,Final:17
2018 ISSF World Cup Guadalajara Mixed 10m air pistol Score:770,Final:476.1
Changwon Mixed 10m air pistol 4th Score:778,Final:378.6
Munich Mixed 10m air pistol 34th Score:758

References
  1. "Haryana shooter creates history, is youngest Indian to win World Cup gold ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  2. Scott, Chris. "16-year-old breaks Commonwealth Games record to win shooting gold for India". CNN. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  3. "Bindra: Manu's talented but it will get tougher for her". ESPN. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. "Manu Bhaker, jack of all trades but master of one, wins 10m pistol gold at World Cup". The Indian Express. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  5. "Manu Bhaker picks up ninth gold at National Shooting Championship". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  6. "Manu Bhaker, 16-year-old from Haryana, wins 2nd gold at ISSF shooting World Cup". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  7. "Who is Manu Bhaker? Meet 16-year-old Indian shooter who created history by winning second gold in World Cup". The Financial Express. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  8. "India's gold rush continues as Manu Bhaker, Om Prakash Mitharval finish first in 10m Air Pistol mixed team final". The Indian Express. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  9. "ISSF World Cup: 16-year-old Manu Bhaker wins gold in women's pistol event". 5 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  10. "Manu Bhaker shoots gold in Women's 10m Air Pistol – Times of India ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  11. "Manu Bhaker wins second gold at Shooting World Cup". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  12. "CWG 2018: On debut, teenaged Manu Bhaker shoots gold, Heena Sindhu silver". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  13. "Commonwealth Games 2018: Superwomen Manu Bhaker, Punam Yadav, Manika Batra lead charge as India end Day 4 on a high". www.firstpost.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  14. NDTVSports.com. "Commonwealth Games 2018: Manu Bhaker, 16, Shatters Games Record To Clinch Gold, Heena Sidhu Bags Silver – NDTV Sports". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  15. Sharma, suposh (27 February 2019). "Bhaker, Chaudhry end World Cup on a high; win 3rd Gold for India". Sports Flashes. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  16. NDTVSports.com. "ISSF World Cup 2019: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary Win Gold in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event | Shooting News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
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