Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], January 2 : Olympic double medalist Manu Bhaker will be conferred the prestigious Khel Ratna Award. Haryana Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa has congratulated Bhaker and other athletes for their achievements.
"This is a very proud moment for every resident of Haryana... I congratulate Manu Bhaker and other athletes... The athletes will get inspiration after receiving the award... The athletes of Haryana have always played a major role in winning medals for the country," Gangwa, who is Public Health Engineering and Public Works Minister, told ANI.
Haryana has consistently contributed to India's medal's tally in various sporting events.
The past year turned out to be a game-changing year for shooter Manu Bhaker, who created history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by winning two medals in shooting events, and becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to achieve this feat after Norman Pritchard in 1900.
Bhaker opened India's medal tally at the Paris Olympics by securing third place in the women's individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, adding another milestone to her career.
Following this, Bhaker, alongside Sarabjot Singh, clinched her second bronze in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event. The duo displayed exceptional consistency, defeating South Korea's Lee Wonho and Oh Ye Jin with a score of 16-10 in the bronze medal play-off match. Their victory marked India's first-ever shooting team medal at the Olympics.
Despite narrowly missing out on a historic treble by finishing fourth in the women's 25m pistol event, Bhaker's achievements in Paris cement her status as the most successful Indian woman shooter in history. Her career is already decorated with gold medals from the World Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Youth Olympic Games.
This success comes after the heartbreak of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where a pistol malfunction denied Bhaker a shot at a medal in the same event.
Born on February 18, 2002, in Jhajjar, Haryana, Bhaker initially pursued a variety of sports, including tennis, skating, and boxing. She also excelled in 'thang ta', a form of martial arts, winning medals at the national level before dedicating herself to shooting.
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