Manu Bhaker became the first Indian to win a medal for the country at the Paris Olympics. The 22-year-old shot a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol to become the country’s first female Olympic medalist in shooting. Manu went through a tough phase after failing to live up to the hype in the Tokyo Olympics, her maiden Games appearance. Her pistol malfunctioned in a qualifying round, which impacted her confidence in Tokyo.

Manu Bhaker even pondered quitting shooting in 2023. However, her reunion with coach Jaspal Rana worked wonders. She also used the Bhagavad Gita to regain focus and script history in Paris. The Haryana shooter overcame the odds to silence her critics in Paris. Her coach, Jaspal, speaking to India Today, said he helped Manu understand her potential and worked on the mental aspect of the game.

Meanwhile, India’s Arjun Babuta missed on a medal in the men’s 10m air rifle final by the barest of margins, finishing fourth. He joined a list of legends who missed the podium by a small margin.

While the athletes in Paris have been receiving a lot of love, the archery teams have been trolled online in a poor gesture. Saurabh Kumar and Akshay Ramesh discuss the highs and lows of the first two days of India’s Paris Olympics campaign.

Produced & Mixed by: Kapil Dev Singh