(Image source from: x.com/mansukhmandviya)
Celebrating Manu Bhaker's groundbreaking bronze medal win at the current Paris Olympics 2024, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya shared his congratulations and highlighted the dedicated training and costs involved. Bhaker clinched the bronze medal in the Women's Air Pistol finals, securing third place, marking her as the first Indian woman to accomplish this accolade in shooting at the Olympics. Minister Mandaviya emphasized Bhaker's achievement, stating that she has made India proud by earning the initial medal. It was mentioned by Mandaviya that PM Modi conceptualized the 'Khelo India' program, which helped develop sports infrastructure across the nation, raised the level of sports competition, initiated projects to identify potential talent, and hired skilled coaches to train them effectively. The Minister explained that approximately Rs 2 crore was invested in Bhaker's training, enabling her to undergo specialized training in Germany and Switzerland.
The cost of training Manu Bhaker amounted to approximately 2 crore rupees, which financed her training sessions in Germany and Switzerland. Financial aid was granted, enabling her to hire a desired coach. Providing this supportive environment for all our athletes is crucial for enhancing their performance at local and global events. The belief in our athletes' success extends to future Olympics, including Paris. Today's shooting and archery events deserve our backing, with a call to support our athletes through #CheerForBharat on social platforms. Manu Bhaker will strive in the 10m air pistol mixed team contest alongside Sarabjot Singh at 12:45 PM. Our Indian shooters and archery team endeavor to boost the nation's medal tally at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
In the men's event, Andrew placed five in the qualification round, while John finished seventh. According to Olympics.com, the finals will feature the top eight players from each round, taking place today. The men's archery squad, consisting of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, are set to compete against Turkiye or Colombia in the quarterfinals later today at 6:31 PM. Medal matches for this discipline are scheduled for today too. Bhaker secured India's initial medal at the current big competition, achieving a bronze with a tally of 221.7 points. This marked a remarkable comeback for Manu following an equipment issue during the Tokyo Olympics. She accomplished a historic feat by being the first Indian woman in two decades to reach an individual shooting final in the Olympics since Suma Shirur in 2004. Ye Jin of South Korea seized the gold medal, setting an Olympic record of 243.2 points. Ye Jin's teammate, Kim Yeji, took home the silver with 241.3 points.
