NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker made history as the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win two Olympic medals in a single edition of the Games. Alongside  Sarabjot Singh, she secured the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.

The Indian duo defeated Korea's Lee Min Ho and Oh Yeh Jin 16-10 at the Chateauroux shooting range, earning India its second medal at the National Shooting Center in Chateauroux the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France.

The 22-year-old Bhaker had previously won the women’s 10m air pistol bronze on Sunday, redeeming herself after a disappointing debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where a pistol malfunction left her in tears. Before her, British-Indian athlete Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals in the 200m sprint and 200m hurdles at the 1900 Olympics, but that was before India's independence. 

This achievement is significant for women's sports in India and also serves as redemption for Sarabjot, who missed the men's 10m air pistol final, finishing ninth with a score of 577 on Saturday.

"I'm feeling proud and immensely grateful for all the blessings," said Bhaker after the match, where she and Sarabjot Singh displayed remarkable poise, making it a one-sided contest. "We can't control what our rivals do; we can only control our actions. My partner and I decided to give our best and keep fighting till the end," added the shooter from Jhajjar, Haryana. In Tokyo, she couldn't even qualify for this event with Saurabh Chaudhary and had finished seventh.

Sarabjot, the shooter from Ambala, who had faced disappointment in the individual competition just three days earlier, felt immense pressure to perform. "I'm feeling good. The game was very tough, and there was a lot of pressure. I am very happy," said the 22-year-old Sarabjot, who comes from a farming family. The Indians started poorly, with Sarabjot's opening shot scoring a low 8.6, while Bhaker scored 10.2, totalling 18.8. The Koreans scored 20.5, winning the opening round and taking a 2-0 lead.

In mixed team events, the pair that first reaches 16 points wins the medal. After falling behind 0-2, Bhaker's consistency shone through and inspired Sarabjot, allowing them to win the next four rounds and take the lead at 8-2. Bhaker's confidence was evident as she had only three shots below 10 throughout the 13-round contest. The Koreans, facing an uphill battle, succumbed to the pressure and couldn't match their rivals, ultimately losing 16-10. Bhaker emphasized that in a high-speed and high-precision sport, maintaining a steady mind is crucial.