Manu Bhaker Quick Facts
| Full Name | Manu Bhaker |
| Profession | Sport shooter |
| Date of Birth | 18 February 2002 |
| Birthplace | Goria, Jhajjar district, Haryana |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Events | 10m air pistol, 25m pistol, 10m air pistol mixed team |
| Coach | Jaspal Rana |
| Active Years | 2017 to present |
| Nationality | Indian |
Why Manu Bhaker Matters
Manu Bhaker’s Paris campaign was as much a story of recovery as of results. Three years earlier at Tokyo 2020 she had been one of India’s most-tipped shooters, only for a pistol malfunction and a run of poor finals to leave her empty-handed. Her return in Paris, with two medals and a near miss in a third event, ended a 12-year Olympic medal drought for Indian shooting and showed that the country’s heavy investment in junior pistol shooting could deliver at the highest level. As a young woman from rural Haryana who combined study at a top Delhi college with elite sport, she has also become a reference point for families weighing whether to back daughters in Olympic disciplines.
Manu Bhaker Major Results
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | Gold, 10m air pistol |
| 2018 | Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires | Gold, 10m air pistol; silver, mixed team |
| 2022 | World Championships, Cairo | Silver, 25m pistol team |
| 2023 | World Championships, Baku | Gold, 25m pistol team |
| 2023 | Asian Games 2022, Hangzhou | Gold, 25m pistol team |
| 2024 | Olympic Games, Paris | Bronze, 10m air pistol; bronze, mixed team (with Sarabjot Singh); fourth, 25m pistol |
| 2025 | World Championships, Cairo | Silver, 10m air pistol team |
| 2026 | Asian Championships, New Delhi | Gold, 10m air pistol team and 25m pistol team; silver, 25m pistol |
| 2026 | ISSF World Cup, Munich | Silver, 10m air pistol mixed team (with Samrat Rana) |
| 2026 | ISSF World Cup, Hangzhou | Bronze, 25m pistol |
Early Life and Family
Manu was born on 18 February 2002 in Goria village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, is a marine engineer, and her mother, Sumedha Bhaker, is a former school principal. She tried several sports at school before taking up shooting in 2016, and her family backed the switch with equipment and travel to competitions. She later studied political science at Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi.
Breakthrough: A Teenage Sensation in 2018
Within two years of picking up a pistol, Manu was winning on the world stage. In 2018, aged 16, she won ISSF World Cup gold in Mexico, then took 10m air pistol gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with a Games record final score and added gold at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. That year made her the face of a new generation of Indian pistol shooters.
Manu Bhaker Career Journey
Manu piled up World Cup medals between 2018 and 2021, but Tokyo 2020 brought disappointment: she finished 12th in 10m air pistol after an equipment malfunction, 15th in 25m pistol and seventh in the mixed team. A spell of uneven form followed before she reunited with coach Jaspal Rana in 2023. Team golds at the 2023 World Championships and Asian Games restored her confidence, and in Paris she won 10m air pistol bronze, added mixed team bronze with Sarabjot Singh two days later, and narrowly missed a third medal in the 25m pistol. She was one of India’s flag-bearers at the closing ceremony.
Manu Bhaker Records and Milestones
- First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting (Paris 2024)
- First Indian since independence to win two medals at one Olympic Games
- Commonwealth Games record in the 10m air pistol final (2018)
- Youth Olympic champion in 10m air pistol (2018)
- Twenty-plus ISSF World Cup medals across individual and team events
Manu Bhaker Awards and Honours
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Arjuna Award |
| 2025 | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna |
| 2025 | BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year |
| 2025 | Sportstar Sportswoman of the Year |
Manu Bhaker Shooting Style
Manu is one of a small group of shooters who compete at a high level in both the 10m air pistol, a slow-fire precision event, and the 25m pistol, which adds a rapid-fire stage demanding quick target acquisition. Her strength is a fast, decisive release and strong rapid-fire scores, which make her dangerous in finals. Her weaker phases have usually come from technical or equipment problems and from managing pressure in eliminations, areas she has worked on with Jaspal Rana, whose emphasis on routine and calm decision-making is often credited for her Paris turnaround.
Current Form (2025-26) and Outlook
Manu’s post-Paris record has been steady rather than spectacular. In 2025 she won 10m air pistol silver at the ISSF World Cup in Lima, team silver at the World Championships in Cairo and three bronze medals at the Asian Championships in Shymkent. In 2026 she won two team golds and an individual 25m pistol silver at the Asian Championships in New Delhi, mixed team silver at the Munich World Cup with Samrat Rana, and 25m pistol bronze after a shoot-off at the Hangzhou World Cup in July.
The Asian Games in Japan in September 2026 were a setback. She left without a medal across four events: India finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol team final and fourth in the 10m air pistol team event, and she placed 11th in 25m pistol qualification. With the 2026 World Championships and the build-up to LA 2028 ahead, converting qualification scores into individual finals will be her focus.
Manu Bhaker Net Worth and Brand Value
Manu Bhaker has not disclosed her earnings, and no reputable business publication has published a credible estimate of her total net worth. The endorsement figures below are media estimates reported after Paris 2024.
| Estimated Net Worth | Not publicly estimated by a reliable source |
| Brand Value | Endorsement fee reportedly rose from about ₹25 lakh per deal before Paris to around ₹1.5 crore afterwards, per The Economic Times as cited by ETV Bharat (August 2024) |
| Key Brand Endorsements | Thums Up (reported 2024 deal); other current deals not independently confirmed |
| Main Income Sources | Endorsements, prize money, and cash awards from central and state governments after her Olympic medals |
Personal Life
Manu keeps her personal life low-key. She graduated in political science from Lady Shri Ram College in 2022 and has continued postgraduate study in public administration and sports management alongside competition. She is active on social media, where she shares training updates and occasional brand collaborations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Manu Bhaker
How many Olympic medals has Manu Bhaker won?
Two, both bronze at Paris 2024: in the women’s 10m air pistol and the 10m air pistol mixed team with Sarabjot Singh.
Who is Manu Bhaker’s coach?
She is coached by former Indian pistol shooter Jaspal Rana, with whom she reunited in 2023.
Did Manu Bhaker win a medal at the 2026 Asian Games?
No. She competed in four events at the 2026 Asian Games but did not reach the podium.
What is Manu Bhaker’s net worth?
No reliable net worth estimate has been published. Her endorsement fee was reported at around ₹1.5 crore per deal after Paris 2024, per The Economic Times as cited by ETV Bharat.
