Paris Olympics 2024: Bhaker-Sarabjot duo qualifies for bronze medal match in 10m air pistol mixed team

Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh (Pic: PTI/Media_SAI)

The Indian combination of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh qualified for the bronze medal match in the 10m air pistol mixed team event of the Olympic Games here on Monday.

Bhaker and Sarabjot shot 580 to make the medal round where they will take on Korea on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Bhaker came into the qualifications after winning a historic bronze medal in the 10m women's air pistol event on Sunday.

After Bhaker's historic medal, Indian shooters Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta will be aiming to add to their country's medal count as they participate in the final round of the 10 m air rifle events on Monday.

On Sunday, Ramita made it to the final of the women's 10 m air rifle event after a fifth-place finish during the qualification round, while Arjun came seventh in the men's event. The top eight from both the qualification rounds made it to the finals which are scheduled for today, as per Olympics.com.

Ramita finished in the fifth spot with a score of 631.5 and will compete in the final on Monday, while Elavenil Valarivan suffered another heartbreak in the same event, after a defeat in the mixed team event. Earlier, on the opening day, Elavenil tasted defeat along with Sandeep Singh in the 10 metre air rifle mixed team qualification event.

Driven by the expectations of the entire nation, the duo fought hard for a shot at India's first medal. Despite their efforts, Elavenil and Sandeep finished in 12th place with 626.3 points, with Elavenil scoring 312.6 points and Sandeep getting 313.7 points. They were far away from the required top-four finish.

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On the other hand, Arjun earned a ticket to the final round by finishing seventh in the qualification round on Sunday. The 25-year-old from Chandigarh shot a series of 105.7, 104.9, 105.5, 105.4, 104.0, and 104.6, achieving a total score of 630.1 points to make the cut for the final. Babuta will now compete in the eight-shooter final on Monday, aiming for Olympic glory. This follows a narrow miss in the mixed team event with partner Ramita Jindal on Saturday, where the duo finished sixth in the qualification round, just missing out on a final berth.

India's first medal was earned by 22-year-old Manu Bhaker, who secured country's first-ever shooting medal by a woman by getting a bronze medal in the 10 m air pistol final on Sunday. She will once again be in action during the 10 m air pistol mixed team competition qualification rounds along with Sarabjot Singh from 12:45 PM onwards.

Bhaker brought India's first medal in the ongoing mega event as she won a bronze medal with a score of 221.7.

It was a redemption arc for Manu after her pistol malfunctioned at the Tokyo Olympics. She made history by becoming the first Indian woman in 20 years to reach a shooting final in an individual event of the Olympics since Suma Shirur in 2004.

South Korea's Ye Jin clinched the gold medal with an Olympic record of 243.2 points. Her compatriot, Kim Yeji, settled for silver with 241.3 points.

On the opening day, Bhaker finished third in the qualification round of the women's 10 metre air Pistol to qualify for the final at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Saturday. While Rhythm Sangwan failed to make her place in the final after finishing in 15th place.

(With agency inputs)