NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker's Paris Olympics Triumph: Rs 2 Crore Spent on Her Training, Says Sports Minister Mandaviya. Celebrating Manu Bhaker's historic bronze medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the substantial effort and investment that contributed to her success.

Bhaker secured the bronze medal in the Women's Air Pistol event on Sunday, becoming the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting.

In his congratulatory message, Mandaviya said, "Manu Bhaker has made India proud by winning the first bronze medal in the Paris Olympics. She is a product of the 'Khelo India' initiative. PM Modi launched 'Khelo India' to enhance sports infrastructure, increase competition, and identify sports talent at school and college levels. We hired top coaches to train these talents, provided them with excellent training, and ensured they faced no financial constraints under the TOPS scheme."

Mandaviya disclosed that approximately Rs 2 crore was invested in Manu's training, which included stints in Germany and Switzerland. He expressed confidence that other Indian athletes will also excel in the Olympics.

"About Rs 2 crore was spent on Manu Bhaker's training. She trained in Germany and Switzerland and received financial assistance to hire her preferred coach. We are creating this ecosystem for all athletes to perform their best at national and international competitions. I am confident that our athletes will shine in the Paris Olympics," he added.

Discussing the ongoing shooting and archery competitions, Mandaviya said, "Today, we have shooting and archery competitions. Let's support our athletes with #CheerForBharat on social media. We expect excellent performances."

Bhaker will compete in the 10 m air pistol mixed team qualification rounds with Sarabjot Singh at 12:45 PM.

Indian shooters Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta, along with the men's archery team, aim to increase India's medal tally at the Paris Olympics on Monday. On Sunday, Ramita qualified for the women's 10 m air rifle final by finishing fifth, while Arjun placed seventh in the men's event. The top eight from both qualifications will compete in the finals today.

The men's archery team, comprising Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, and Pravin Jadhav, will face either Turkey or Colombia in the quarterfinals at 6:31 PM. Medal rounds for this category will also occur today.

Bhaker's bronze is India's first medal in the ongoing event, achieved with a score of 221.7. This victory is particularly sweet for Bhaker after her pistol malfunctioned at the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first Indian woman in 20 years to reach a shooting final in an individual Olympic event since Suma Shirur in 2004.

South Korea's Ye Jin won gold with an Olympic record of 243.2 points, while her compatriot Kim Yeji took silver with 241.3 points.

 Indian shooting, Mansukh Mandaviya, Khelo India, TOPS scheme, sports infrastructure, bronze medal, Women's Air Pistol, Indian athletes, #CheerForBharat, Olympic achievements

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