Who is Manu Bhaker's Boyfriend? All You Need to Know About Indian Star Shooter and Her Life

Add as a preferred source on Google

Manu Bhaker has etched her name in history as the first Indian shooter as she became the first female shooter from the country to clinch an Olympic medal at the Paris Olympics in the Women's Individual 10m Air Pistol event on Sunday (July 28). Follow our elaborated Paris Olympics coverage

Bhaker clinched a bronze medal in the final round of the event and etched her name in the history books. The 22-year-old's performance has also piqued the interest of fans to know more about the young shooter, who is not a new name in Indian sports.

Manu Bhaker was born on 18 February 2002 in Goria, Jhajjar district, Haryana, India. In a state famous for its boxers and wrestlers, she found a love for sports during her school days, engaging in tennis, skating, and boxing. She also thrived in a martial art known as 'thang ta,' earning national-level medals. As a teenager, Manu Bhaker swiftly advanced to become India's newest shooting sensation.

Early Life and Education

At 14, soon after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Manu discovered a passion for shooting. Within a week, she asked her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, to buy her a sports shooting pistol to practice, marking the beginning of her journey to becoming an Olympian.

Before turning 14, Manu Bhaker excelled in various sports, including Huyen langlon, a Manipuri martial art, as well as boxing, tennis, and skating, winning medals at national games in these events. She has also completed her second year of a BA degree.

Family Life

Manu Bhaker comes from Goria village located in the Jhajjar district of Haryana, India. Her family background is supportive of her shooting career. Her father, Ram Kishan Bhaker, works as a chief engineer in the Merchant Navy. He also invested ₹150,000 to purchase a sports shooting pistol, marking the start of Bhaker's remarkable rise in the sport.

Personal Life

Manu Bhaker developed an interest in sports at a young age and succeeded in different sports. Her father bought her a shooting pistol at the age of 14, from where her love for shooting deepened as she took up the sport seriously.

Boyfriend

As of now, there is no official information available about Manu Bhaker’s dating life. She has not made any public announcements regarding a boyfriend, and any reports or news about her romantic relationships remain purely speculative.

Shooting Career

With an investment of ₹150,000 from her father, Bhaker decided to pursue competitive shooting. She first found international success by winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. In the 2017 National Games in Kerala, Bhaker won nine gold medals, defeating multiple World Cup medalist Heena Sidhu and breaking Sidhu's record by scoring 242.3 points in the final.

In the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, Bhaker won gold in the Women's 10-meter air pistol event, defeating Mexico's Alejandra Zavala with a score of 237.5, making her the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at a World Cup. She won another gold in the 10-meter Air Pistol mixed team event with Om Prakash Mitharval, scoring 476.1 points.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Bhaker set a new record in the women's 10m air pistol qualifying round and won the gold medal in the final with a score of 240.9. Although she set a game's record score of 593 in the qualification round of the 25m Air Pistol event at the 2018 Asian Games, she finished 6th in the final. At the Youth Olympics 2018, Bhaker won gold in the women's 10m air pistol event with a score of 236.5, becoming the first Indian shooter and first female athlete from India to win gold at the Youth Olympic Games.

In February 2019, she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Delhi. She qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event after finishing fourth at the Munich ISSF World Cup. Despite her pistol malfunctioning during the finals of the 25m pistol event, Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhry won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed event at all four ISSF World Cups in 2019.

At the 2021 ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, she won a gold, silver, and bronze in various pistol events. However, her debut at the Tokyo Olympics did not go as planned due to technical issues with her pistol, preventing her from making it to the finals in any of her events. Shortly after, she became the junior world champion in the women's 10m air pistol at Lima.

Achievements and Recognition

Manu Bhaker has amassed a remarkable list of achievements. In 2017, she won nine gold medals at the National Games, breaking Heena Sidhu's record in the 10m air pistol event. At 16, she became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2018. That year, she also won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Commonwealth Games, setting a new record.

At the 2018 Youth Olympics, Bhaker made history by becoming the first Indian shooter and first female athlete from India to win a gold medal. In 2019, she won multiple gold medals in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Saurabh Chaudhry at all four ISSF World Cups and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She secured a gold and silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol at the 2021 ISSF World Cup and a bronze in the 25m Air Pistol, making her a strong contender for the Tokyo Olympics.

Despite a challenging Tokyo Olympics, Bhaker continued to shine in junior competitions, winning the junior world championship in the women's 10m air pistol at Lima. She won silver in the women's 25m pistol at the 2022 Cairo World Championships and gold in the same event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Bhaker also secured a Paris 2024 Olympic quota for India after finishing fifth in the women's 25m pistol event at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon.

Salary & Income

Her father made the first investment of INR 150,000 to help kick-start her shooting career. She is currently supported by OGQ. OGQ, a program of the Foundation for Promotion of Sports and Games, is a non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gap between India’s top athletes and the world's best. Its mission is to help Indian athletes achieve Olympic gold medals.

Future Prospects

Manu Bhaker's future in competitive shooting is highly promising, especially as she now prepares for the 25M Air Pistol round in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Having secured a bronze medal with her strong performance at Chatearoux, Bhaker is expected to be a key medal contender in the 25M Air Pistol.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Bhaker is an influential figure in Indian sports, inspiring young athletes, particularly girls, to pursue their dreams. Her journey from a small village in Haryana to the global stage highlights the importance of support programs like OGQ in nurturing talent.

As a role model and ambassador for sports, Bhaker's dedication and success continue to motivate and elevate the aspirations of many, reinforcing India's potential to excel internationally.