Manu Bhaker rockets into Paris 2024 pistol final as Indian rifle teams narrowly miss out on medals

Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has secured her place in the final of the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Bhaker, who finished third in the qualifying round on Saturday, is set to compete for a medal on Sunday at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux. Her qualification marks a significant achievement for Indian shooting at these Olympics.

Details of the qualification round

Hungary’s Veronika Major led the qualifying round with a score of 582 and 22 Xs, while the Republic of Korea’s Oh Ye Jin followed closely with 582 and 20 Xs. Manu Bhaker secured third place with a score of 580 and 27 Xs. Rhythm Sangwan, another Indian competitor, finished 15th with a score of 573 and 14 Xs, missing out on the final.

Indian performance in men’s 10m air pistol

In the men’s 10m air pistol event, Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema did not advance to the final. Sarabjot Singh finished ninth with a score of 577 and 16 Xs, while Arjun Singh Cheema came in 18th with a score of 574 and 17 Xs. Both shooters fell short of the top eight required to progress to the final.

Indian rifle mixed teams fall short

Earlier in the day, India’s 10m air rifle mixed teams, consisting of Sandeep Singh and Elavenil Valarivan, and Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal, failed to qualify for the medal matches. The top four teams from the qualifying round advanced to the medal matches, and both Indian teams narrowly missed out.

Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal finished sixth with a combined score of 628.7, just one point shy of the top four. Their performance suffered due to a subpar opening series, scoring 208.7, though they improved with scores of 210.6 and 209.4 in their subsequent series.

Sandeep Singh and Elavenil Valarivan also struggled, finishing 12th with a score of 626.3. They experienced a disappointing start with a score of 207.5 in their first series but managed to recover with scores of 210.0 and 208.8 in the following series.

Upcoming events for Indian shooters

All four Indian rifle shooters—Sandeep Singh, Elavenil Valarivan, Arjun Babuta, and Ramita Jindal—will be competing in their individual events later this week. The results from these events will be crucial for their chances of securing medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Analysis of performance

The narrow misses by the Indian rifle teams highlight the intense competition in Olympic shooting events. He explains that minor fluctuations in performance can significantly impact results, and the Indian shooters’ ability to recover in subsequent series demonstrates their skill and resilience. However, he emphasizes the need for consistency from the outset to improve their chances in future rounds.