New Delhi [India], January 17 : After being felicitated with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India's two-time Olympic medalist shooter Manu Bhaker on Friday said that this recognition will inspire her to work even harder.
Double Olympic medalist Bhaker, World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Para Athlete Praveen Kumar were awarded the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan today.
Taking to Instagram, Manu Bhaker said that she is "deeply honoured" to receive the prestigious award. She also extended her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported her.
"I am deeply honoured to have received the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from the honourable president of India @presidentofindia. This recognition inspires me to work even harder and strive for more victories to make my country proud. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported, guided, and cheered for me throughout my journey. Thank you," Manu Bhaker wrote on Instagram.
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Bhaker opened India's medal tally in the Olympics after she secured third place in the women's individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first-ever woman shooter to win an Olympic medal for India. Following that, Sarabjot Singh and Bhaker won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol (mixed team) event, which was India's first-ever shooting team medal.
In her final event, she narrowly missed out on the historic grand treble and finished fourth in the women's 25m pistol shooting event. She missed out on the opportunity to become the first Indian to win three medals at the Olympics.
The young shooter's sweet redemption came after a disappointing Tokyo Olympics campaign in 2021, where a malfunction in her gun cost her a medal. During the 10 m air pistol qualification round during the Tokyo Olympics, her gun malfunctioned, which caused her to lose a lot of time. She was left with a very short amount of time to carry out her quota of shots. She missed the top-eight finish required to qualify for the final round and finished at the 12th spot. In the 25-metre pistol event, she failed to qualify further, finishing in the 15th spot. Her 10 m air pistol mixed team event did not go well either, as she finished in seventh overall.
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