Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], November 29 (ANI): Kiren Rijiju, India's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, met the two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and expressed his admiration for the 23-year-old pistol shooter, praising her dedication and saying her achievements inspire the next generation of Indian athletes.

In a post on X, Kiren Rijiju said meeting double-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was a joy and praised her dedication for inspiring future Indian athletes.

'There's a special JOY in meeting our athletes who make India proud on the world stage. Interacted with Double-Olympic medalist @realmanubhaker at my residence today. Her devotion, passion & commitment are shaping the dreams of the next generation of athletes,' he said.

Manu Bhaker brought pride to the nation at the 2024 Paris Olympics, securing two bronze medals--one in the 10m air pistol individual event and another in the mixed doubles. Her achievements were instrumental in India's total of six medals at the Games. With this accomplishment, Manu joined the elite group of Indian shooters with multiple Olympic medals, solidifying her status as one of the country's top athletes.

Manu Bhaker also competed at the ISSF World Championships earlier in November but missed out on a medal in the women's 10m air pistol final. After qualifying sixth with 580 points, she briefly led the final with a 10.7 on her 13th shot. However, an 8.8 on her 14th shot dropped her to seventh place, finishing with 139.5 points. Despite the outcome, her strong performance in the qualifiers and early stages of the final highlighted her skill and competitiveness.

Manu also won bronze medals in the women's 10m air pistol individual and team events at the Asian Shooting Championship 2025 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, earlier this year.

She finished with a total score of 219.7 in the final, placing third behind People's Republic of China's Ma Qianke, who won gold with 243.2, and Republic of Korea's Yang Ji-in, who claimed silver with 241.6.

On the other hand, the Indian trio of Manu, Suruchi Singh and Palak Gulia combined to post a total of 1730 in the qualification, earning team bronze, just one point shy of South Korea, who claimed silver. (ANI)