Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker admitted she had “mixed feelings” after winning the bronze medal in the women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou, saying she was pleased with the progress in her performance but believed she was capable of delivering more.
“Another bronze. I have mixed feelings about this one. I’m happy that I was able to improve my performance, but at the same time, I know I could have done better,” Bhaker wrote in a post on X.
The 23-year-old said the medal reflected the hard work she had put in but stressed that there was still significant scope for improvement.
“What makes me happy is seeing that the hard work is showing. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, and that’s what keeps me motivated. One step at a time,” she said.
Bhaker also thanked her coaches, family and fans for their unwavering support.
“Major thanks to my team, my family, and each one of you for the unwavering love and support. It means the world to me,” she added.
Bhaker’s bronze came as India enjoyed a memorable outing in the women’s 25m pistol event, with Esha Singh clinching the gold medal to complete a double podium finish for the country.
Esha dominated the final with 40 hits, while Bhaker battled through a tightly contested field and survived a crucial shoot-off before finishing with 28 hits to secure bronze.
The Indian pair had also impressed in qualification, with Bhaker topping the standings with 586-20x and Esha finishing second with 585-18x to advance comfortably to the eight-shooter final.
Former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat shot 582-16x, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar (576-20x) and Abhidnya Ashok Patil (573-16x) competed under Ranking Points Only (RPO) status.
The gold medal marked another milestone in Esha’s rapidly rising career. Earlier this season at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, the 21-year-old from Hyderabad set both the senior and junior world records with 43 hits in the final.
For Bhaker, the bronze further underlined her consistency on the international stage after her historic Paris Olympics campaign, where she became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single edition of the Games.
(ANI)
