Manu Bhaker Shines Amidst Indian Olympic Woes: A Day of Mixed Fortunes

Manu Bhaker made a strong statement in the 10m air pistol finals amidst a challenging day for Indian athletes at the Olympics. Bhaker, competing in her second Olympics, qualified third for the finals. Meanwhile, shuttler Lakshya Sen and paddler Harmeet Desai debuted successfully. However, Indian shooters faced mixed fortunes.

Manu Bhaker made a statement of intent by storming into the 10m air pistol finals on a day when most of her compatriots endured a forgettable outing at the shooting range before shuttler Lakshya Sen and paddler Harmeet Desai dazzled on debut in India's sedate start at the Olympic Games on Saturday.

Bhaker, who is competing in her second Olympics, seemed determined to wipe off the memories of her tearful past outing as she qualified third for the 10m air pistol women's final which will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.

In the badminton competition being held at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris, Sen was in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings but Guatemala's Kevin Cordon made sure that the Indian was stretched to an extent in his opening Group L match.