NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker displayed unwavering self-assurance as she secured her spot in the 10m women’s air pistol final, redeeming Indian shooting after a lackluster start by her fellow competitors at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Bhaker scored 580, placing her third in the qualifications, while Hungarian star Veronika Major clinched the top position with a score of 582, PTI reported.
Rhythm Sangwan, the other Indian participant, concluded the qualifications in 15th place, scoring 573. The final showdown is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Having been brought to tears following her disappointing performance in her Olympic debut in Tokyo three years prior, Bhaker is determined to add an Olympic medal to her already impressive list of achievements.
Bhaker, a renowned shooter who has achieved global acclaim for his accomplishments in the sport from a tender age, appeared resolute in putting the Tokyo experiences in the past. She delivered an impressive performance during the qualification round.
The shooter from Haryana commenced strongly, amassing 97 points to secure the fourth position at the conclusion of Series 1. She maintained her form in the second series, scoring another 97 and retaining her fourth spot, while Sangwan dropped to 26th following a subpar performance that included an 8. However, Bhaker climbed back into the top two after an outstanding 98 in his third series.
Despite shooting an 8 in the fifth series, her first suboptimal shot in an otherwise stellar qualification, Bhaker remained in contention and ultimately secured a spot in the final.
Indians bow out in men’s 10m air pistol
Earlier, Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema showed glimpses of brilliance but ultimately fell short of making the men’s 10m air pistol final, alongside both the 10m air rifle mixed teams, marking a disappointing start for the Indian shooters.
In the qualifications, Sarabjot finished ninth with a total score of 577, while Arjun lagged behind at 18th with a score of 574.
Germany’s Robin Walter, who also shot 577, secured the last (eighth) qualifying spot by managing to shoot one more inner 10 (X) than Sarabjot’s 16.
A perfect 100 in the fourth series propelled the 22-year-old Sarabjot into the top three after a poor start, but he couldn’t sustain the momentum and eventually faded.
Cheema, who shot 10 perfect 10s in his last 10 shots, climbed to fourth position but also lost his grip after showing much promise.
Disappointment in mixed rifle event
Earlier in the day, the Indian teams were eliminated in the 10m air rifle mixed team qualification stage.
Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta finished sixth with a total score of 628.7, while Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh placed 12th with an aggregate score of 626.3.
Ramita and Babuta came close, sitting in fifth with three shots remaining, but ultimately fell 1.0 point short of the medal round cut-off.
Shooters from China, Korea, and Kazakhstan dominated the qualifications, with China eventually winning the first gold medal of the Games in this event after qualifying as the top team for the finals.