Manu Bhaker is an Indian Olympian who competes at
airgun
An air gun or airgun is a gun that fires projectiles pneumatically with compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized ''without'' involving any chemical reactions, in contrast to a firearm, which pressurizes gases ''chemical ...
shooting
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles c ...
. She represented India at the 2018
ISSF World Cup
The ISSF World Cup was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 1986 to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the Olympic shooting competitions. It still is carried out in the Olympic shooting events, with four comp ...
and won two gold medals. She is the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup.
[ She won the gold medal in women's 10 m air pistol event at ]2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, ...
just at the age of 16 in her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance.
Early life
She is from Goria village in the Haryana district of Jhajjar.
Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. Until the age of 14 Bhaker excelled in other sports like Huyen langlon
Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. In the Meitei language, means war while or can mean net, knowledge or art. consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapon ...
, a Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a States and territories of India, state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It ...
i martial art, as well as boxing, tennis and skating, winning medals at the national games in these events.
Career
With an investment of ₹
The Indian rupee sign (₹) is the currency symbol for the Indian rupee (ISO 4217: INR), the official currency of India. Designed by D. Udaya Kumar, it was presented to the public by the Government of India on 15 July 2010, following its select ...
150000 by her father,[ 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
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
, Bhaker won nine gold medals and defeated multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu
Heena Sidhu (born 29 August 1989) is an Indian sport shooter. On 7 April 2014, Sidhu became the first Indian pistol shooter to reach number one in world rankings by the International Shooting Sport Federation. In 2013, Sidhu became the first In ...
and broke Sidhu's record of 240.8 points, scoring 242.3 points in the final.[
In the 2018 ]International Shooting Sport Federation
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun ( clay target) disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events. ISSF's activities include regulati ...
World Cup held at Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaja ...
. Bhaker won the gold medal in the Women's 10-meter air pistol, defeating Mexico's Alejandra Zavala
Alejandra Zavala Vázquez (born 16 June 1984 in Guadalajara, Jalisco) is a Mexican female sport shooter. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she competed in the Shooting at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 10 metre air pistol, Women's 10 metre air p ...
, a two-time champion. Bhaker scored 237.5 the final match against Zavalaa, who scored 237.1.Christian Reitz
Christian Reitz (born 29 April 1987) is a German 25 metre rapid fire pistol shooter, the current world record holder.
Career
He rose to fame during 2005, the first year with the new equipment rules, but was defeated in that year's European Ju ...
who scored 475.2.
Bhaker scored 388/400 points at 2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, ...
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.
In 2018 Asian Games
The 2018 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018 or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, was a Asia, continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 A ...
, 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 Olympic Games.
In February 2019 she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Delhi.
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 2019, 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
Olympic Games
World Championship
Youth Olympics
Junior World Championship
Junior World Cup
World Cup
10m air pistol Event
25m Pistol Event
Mixed Team Event
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhaker, Manu
2002 births
Living people
People from Jhajjar
Indian female sport shooters
Sport shooters from Haryana
Commonwealth Games gold medallists for India
Commonwealth Games medallists in shooting
Shooters at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Shooters at the 2018 Asian Games
Shooters at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics
Asian Games competitors for India
Youth Olympic gold medalists for India
Recipients of the Arjuna Award
Shooters at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Olympic shooters of India
Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games