Paris Olympics 2024: India's Manu Bhaker books place in 10m air pistol final after flawless show in qualifiers

India’s ace shooter Manu Bhaker has booked her place in the final round of the 10-meter pistol shooting on Saturday (July 27) as she began her quest to make historyat the Paris Olympics. Manu, a two-time Youth Olympic medallist is bidding to win her maiden medal at the Summer Games and become the first Indian female to strike a prize in shooting. Finishing with an aggregate score of 580 which included 27 inner-circle 10s she will now turn her attention to the final on Sunday (July 28).

Manu Bhaker in the 10-meter final

Starting her Paris Olympics campaign, the 22-year-old was at herbest having taken control from the start. Competing against 43 other shooters, the Indian young gun finished just two points behind leaders Veronika Major of Hungary and Oh Ye Jin of South Korea with both finishing on 582 points. With the top eight shooters qualifying for the final round, Manu booked her place with ease and will now shoot for glory on Sunday.

She returned empty-handed from the Tokyo Games in 2021, but with experience on her side and having won medals at the Shooting World Championships, she may beeager to add one more feather to her already impressive cap.

History beckons for Manu

History will be watching asManu takes the shooting range on Sunday at the Chateauroux Shooting Center. She will be one of the favourites to win the medal for India knowing she is in pole position at least for a bronze.

If she does manage to clinch a medal for India at the Olympics, it will be the country'sfirst shooting Olympic medal since the 2012 London Games. Gagan Narang was the last Indian shooter to win in the Olympics when he struck bronze in a 10-metreair pistol.

If Manu wins she will also become the first Indian female shooter to win a medal at the Olympics with the previous four medals all coming from male shooters.