This triumph occurred only a few days after Singh’s disappointing Olympic debut on July 27 when he nearly missed the final in the men’s 10m pistol event.
After a stunning comeback, Sarabjot Singh and fellow shooter Manu Bhaker won bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
This triumph occurred only a few days after Singh’s disappointing Olympic debut on July 27 when he nearly missed the final in the men’s 10m pistol event.
Sarabjot, a 20-year-old from Dheen village in Ambala, Haryana, was born into a modest background as the son of Jatinder Singh, a farmer, and Hardeep Kaur, a homemaker.
Summer camps as a child ignited his enthusiasm for shooting, but it wasn’t until 2014 that he asked his father to continue the sport despite its financial difficulties. His tenacity paid off in 2019 when he won a gold medal in the Junior World Championship held in Suhl.
India won its second medal at the Paris Games on July 30, making history with Singh and Bhaker’s victory. They defeated the Republic of Korea in the last round at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, winning 16–10 to seal the victory.
The Indian pair displayed remarkable proficiency, taking an early 4-2 lead after the third series and increasing that margin to 8-2 after the fifth. Singh and Bhaker held steady to take home the bronze as South Korea made a late charge to cut the deficit to 10-6.
This marks Sarabjot’s first Olympic medal, while Manu Bhaker’s second medal in these games. Having taken home a bronze earlier in the women’s 10m air pistol competition, she also made Olympic history as the first Indian athlete to win multiple medals in one competition.
Singh, who scored 577-16x to place eighth in the men’s qualification round, reflected on his previous heartbreak. It was bittersweet to miss out on the finals by such a slim margin—just one point behind Germany’s Robin Walter.
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He openly expressed dissatisfaction following the qualifying round, saying, “I had an off day, but I will take this experience forward and work on my technique.”
Despite the loss, Singh and Bhaker’s historic bronze medal demonstrates their tenacity and resolve, inspiring pride in the country and demonstrating that redemption is always achievable with perseverance and hard effort.
