Manu Bhaker stands on the cusp of history!
The young Indian shooter placed herself in contention for a historic second Olympic medal as she combined with Sarabjot Singh to advance to the bronze play-off in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on Monday.
The Indian duo will take on South Koreans Oh Ye Jin and Lee Wonho for the bronze medal on Tuesday with Manu looking all set to etch her name in the history of Indian sports.
No Indian athlete since Independence has won multiple medals at a single Games. Bhaker is on the verge of doing that.
Bhaker, 22, had created history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal by finishing third in the 10m air pistol event, an achievement that opened the country's account at the Paris Games and ended a 12-year medal wait for its shooters. Overall, she is the fifth Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal.
Overall, India has won 22 individual Olympic medals after Independence from the 1948 Olympics till Paris 2024. The first Indian to win an Olympic medal after Independence was K D Jadhav, who won a bronze medal in wrestling at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.
India then went 44 years without an individual medal at the Olympics before tennis great Leander Paes won bronze at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
Shooter Abhinav Bindra was the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in Olympics when he triumphed in the men's 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Neeraj Chopra joined Bindra in the elite with his gold medal in javelin at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games three years ago.
P V Sindhu and Sushil Kumar are the only two Indians to have won multiple Olympic medals. Sindhu won the silver at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro followed by the bronze in Tokyo, while Sushil claimed a bronze at Beijing 2008 followed by a silver four years later in London.
In all, India women have won nine medals in Olympics including Sindhu (two), Karnam Malleshwari, Sakshi Malik, Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Saina Nehwal, M C Mary Kom, and Manu Bhaker.
A look at India's individual medallists in Olympics from 1948 to 2024:
1.1952 Olympic Games, Helsinki
K D Jadhav - Bronze (Wrestling)
2. 1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta
Leander Paes - Bronze (Tennis)
3. 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney
Karnam Malleswari - Bronze (Weightlifting)
4. 2004 Olympic Games, Athens
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - Silver (Shooting)
5. 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing
Abhinav Bindra - Gold (Shooting)
6. 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing
Vijender Singh - Bronze (Boxing)
7. 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing
Sushil Kumar - Bronze (Wrestling)
8. 2012 Olympic Games, London
Sushil Kumar - Silver (Wrestling)
9. 2012 Olympic Games, London
Vijay Kumar - Silver (Shooting)
10. 2012 Olympic Games, London
Gagan Narang - Bronze (Shooting)
11. 2012 Olympic Games, London
M C Mary Kom - Bronze (Boxing)
12. 2012 Olympic Games, London
Saina Nehwal - Bronze (Badminton)
13. 2012 Olympic Games, London
Yogeshwar Dutt - Bronze (Wrestling)
14. 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro
P V Sindhu - Silver (Badminton)
15. 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro
Sakshi Malik - Bronze (Wrestling)
16. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
P V Sindhu Bronze - (Badminton)
17. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
Mirabai Chanu - Silver (Weightlifting)
18. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
Lovlina Borgohain - Bronze (Boxing)
19. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
Ravi Kumar Dahiya - Silver (Wrestling)
20. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
Bajrang Punia - Bronze (Wrestling)
21. 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
Neeraj Chopra - Gold (Javelin Throw)
22. 2024 Olympic Games, Paris
Manu Bhaker - Bronze (Shooting)
