Manu Bhaker (born February 18, 2002) is an Indian Olympian shooter who made history by winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal by securing bronze in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event. Manu further partnered with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed 10-meter air pistol team event to win another bronze medal, becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at a single Olympics and the first Indian to achieve this feat since India gained independence.
Previously, Manu Bhaker clinched gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at just 16 years old. She had also become the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in 2018.
Personal Information
Attribute
Details
Born
18 February 2002 (age 22)
Birthplace
Goria, Jhajjar district, Haryana, India
Height
168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight
60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
Shooting
Manu Bhaker was born on February 18, 2002, in Goria village, Jhajjar district, Haryana. Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. Until age 14, Manu excelled in various sports, including Huyen langlon (a Manipuri martial art), boxing, tennis, and skating, winning medals at the national level.
Career
With an investment of ₹1,50,000 by her father, Bhaker took up competitive shooting. She first tasted international success by winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. At the 2017 National Games in Kerala, Bhaker won nine gold medals, defeating multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and breaking Sidhu’s record with a score of 242.3 points.
In the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, Bhaker won gold in the Women’s 10-meter air pistol, becoming the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the World Cup at age 16. She then secured her second gold medal in the mixed team event with Om Prakash Mitharval, scoring 476.1 points.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Bhaker set a new record with a score of 240.9 points to win gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Although she set a game’s record score in the qualification round of the 25m air pistol event at the 2018 Asian Games, she did not medal. However, she made history by winning gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, becoming the first Indian shooter and female athlete from India to achieve this.
In 2019, Bhaker won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She continued her success by winning gold medals in all four Pistol & Rifle ISSF World Cups in the mixed event with Saurabh Chaudhary.
Medal Record
Representing India in Women’s Shooting
Event
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Olympics
0
0
2
World Championships
1
1
0
Asian Games
1
0
0
World Cup
9
2
0
Youth Olympic Games
1
1
0
ISSF Junior World Championships
4
0
1
Commonwealth Games
1
0
0
Total
17
4
3
Olympic Games
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Bronze
10m air pistol
2024
Paris
Bronze
10m air pistol mixed team
2024
Paris
World Championships
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
25m pistol team
2023
Baku
Silver
25m pistol team
2022
Cairo
Asian Games
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
25m pistol team
2022
Hangzhou
ISSF World Cup
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2019
Putian
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
Putian
Gold
10m air pistol
2018
Guadalajara
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2018
Guadalajara
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
New Delhi
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
Beijing
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
Munich
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
Rio de Janeiro
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2021
New Delhi
Silver
10m air pistol
2021
New Delhi
Silver
10m air pistol mixed team
2021
Osijek
Bronze
25m pistol
2023
Bhopal
Bronze
10m air pistol
2024
Granada
Asian Shooting Championships
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2019
Doha
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2019
Doha
Asian Airgun Championships
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2019
Taoyuan
Gold
Mixed team 10m air pistol
2019
Taoyuan
Commonwealth Games
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2018
Gold Coast
Youth Olympic Games
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2018
Buenos Aires
Silver
10m air pistol mixed team
2018
Buenos Aires
ISSF Junior World Championships
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2021
Lima
Gold
10m air pistol team
2021
Lima
Gold
10m air pistol mixed team
2021
Lima
Gold
25m air pistol team
2021
Lima
Bronze
25m air pistol
2021
Lima
ISSF Junior World Cup
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2018
Sydney
Gold
10m air pistol
2018
Suhl
Gold
Mixed team 10m air pistol
2018
Sydney
Silver
Mixed team 10m air pistol
2018
Suhl
World University Games
Medal
Event
Year
Location
Gold
10m air pistol
2021
Chengdu
Gold
10m air pistol team
2021
Chengdu
Recent Achievements
Manu Bhaker won the team gold for India in the women’s 25m pistol event at the 2022 Asian Games, along with Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, she became the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal and the first Indian woman to win two medals at a single Olympics.
International Career Highlights
Olympic Games
2020 Tokyo: 12th in 10m air pistol women, 15th in 25m pistol women, 7th in mixed 10m air pistol team.
2024 Paris: Bronze in 10m air pistol women, Bronze in mixed 10m air pistol team.
World Championships
2018 Changwon: 13th in 10m air pistol women, 12th in mixed team 10m air pistol, 10th in 25m pistol women.
Youth Olympics
2018 Buenos Aires: Gold in 10m air pistol women, Silver in mixed team 10m air pistol.
Junior World Championship
2021 Lima: Gold in 10m air pistol women.
Junior World Cup
2018 Sydney: Gold in 10m air pistol women, Gold in mixed team 10m pistol air.
2018 Suhl: Gold in 10m air pistol women, Silver in mixed team 10m air pistol.
World Cup
2021 New Delhi: Silver in 10m air pistol women.
2019 Putian: Gold in 10m air pistol women.
2019 Munich: 4th in 10m air pistol women.
2018 Guadalajara: Gold in 10m air pistol women.
Mixed Team Event
2021 New Delhi: Gold in mixed 10m air pistol.
2019 Putian: Gold in mixed 10m air pistol.
2018 Guadalajara: Gold in mixed 10m air pistol.
Legal Actions Post-2024 Olympics
After her success at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Manu Bhaker’s management, IOS Sports & Entertainment, took legal action against several brands for unauthorized use of her image in advertisements, in line with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines.
Rishi