Chateauroux: Manu Bhaker’s standout performance in the 10m women's air pistol qualification salvaged a challenging day for Indian shooting at the Paris Olympics. The 22-year-old Bhaker, showing remarkable confidence, shot 580 to secure third place in the qualification rounds. Hungarian star Veronika Major topped the standings with a score of 582. Bhaker's fellow Indian competitor, Rhythm Sangwan, finished 15th with a score of 573. The final is scheduled for Sunday.

Bhaker, who had a disappointing debut in Tokyo three years ago, has been eager to erase those memories and add an Olympic medal to her impressive resume. She started strong, scoring 97 points in her first series to hold fourth place. Consistent performances in the second and third series, both scoring 97 and 98 respectively, helped her climb into the top two positions. Despite a rare slip in the fifth series with an 8, Bhaker managed to maintain her place and secure a spot in the final.

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Earlier on Saturday, Indian shooters faced setbacks in other events. In the men’s 10m air pistol competition, Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema were unable to advance to the final. Sarabjot finished ninth with a total score of 577, while Cheema placed 18th with 574. German shooter Robin Walter, also with a score of 577, claimed the final qualifying spot by virtue of one additional inner 10 (X) shot compared to Sarabjot.

Sarabjot Singh had a strong showing in the fourth series with a perfect 100, propelling him into the top three. However, he struggled to maintain his form and fell out of contention. Cheema, who had a promising start, climbed to fourth place after hitting 10 perfect 10s in his last series but ultimately failed to sustain his momentum.

India’s disappointing run extended to the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta finished sixth with a combined score of 628.7. They were close to advancing, sitting in fifth place with three shots remaining, but fell just 1.0 point short of the medal round. Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh finished 12th with a total of 626.3. The event was dominated by shooters from China, Korea, and Kazakhstan, with China eventually clinching the first gold medal of the Games in this category after leading the qualifiers.

Overall, while Bhaker’s performance provided a glimmer of hope, the day was marked by a series of missed opportunities for Indian shooters, highlighting the need for a strong finish in upcoming events. PTI