Kiren Rijiju Hails Manu Bhaker as Inspiration for Future Athletes
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has praised double-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, calling the 23-year-old shooter an inspiration for India’s next generation of athletes after meeting her at his residence.
Key Highlights
- Manu Bhaker won two bronze medals at Paris 2024 Olympics
- Rijiju described meeting her as a “special joy”
- She recently competed at ISSF World Championships
- Bhaker also secured medals at Asian Shooting Championship
“There’s a special JOY in meeting our athletes who make India proud on the world stage. Interacted with Double-Olympic medalist @realmanubhaker at my residence today. Her devotion, passion & commitment are shaping the dreams of the next generation of athletes,” he said.
Historic Olympic Performance
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Manu Bhaker secured two bronze medals – in the 10m air pistol individual event and mixed doubles. Her achievements contributed significantly to India’s total medal count of six at the Games.
This accomplishment placed her among the elite group of Indian shooters with multiple Olympic medals, cementing her status as one of the country’s top athletes.
Recent Competitions
Earlier in November, Bhaker competed at the ISSF World Championships but narrowly missed a medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final. After qualifying sixth with 580 points, she briefly led the final before finishing seventh with 139.5 points.
Despite the result, her strong qualifying performance and early lead in the finals demonstrated her competitive edge.
Asian Championship Success
This year, Bhaker also won bronze medals in both individual and team events at the Asian Shooting Championship 2025 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
In the individual final, she scored 219.7 points, placing third behind gold medalist Ma Qianke of China (243.2) and silver medalist Yang Ji-in of South Korea (241.6).
The Indian team comprising Manu Bhaker, Suruchi Singh, and Palak Gulia secured team bronze with a qualification total of 1730 points, just one point behind South Korea’s silver-winning team.
