Legendary batter and former India head coach Rahul Dravid congratulated Manu Bhaker for winning a bronze medal in the 10 Metre Women's Air Pistol event at the ongoing Paris Olympics.

The Indian shooter finished third to clinch a bronze medal in the final of the Women's Air Pistol event at the Paris Olympics on Sunday (July 28).

During a panel discussion at India House, Dravid lauded Bhaker for her top performance at the age of 22. He also acknowledged the challenges she had to overcome to reach the podium.

"Manu's story is incredible after the disappointment of Tokyo Olympics, to come here and be able to get over that and compete and win a bronze is a phenomenal achievement," Dravid said, as quoted by PTI.

"It's lovely to come on a day that's special for Indian sports. These kinds of achievements takes years of sacrifice, take a lot of hardwork, resilience and perseverance.

"We know how hard it is for a sportsperson and what they go through and so much depends on just these few days," he added.

During the Tokyo Olympics, Bhaker faced a setback when her pistol malfunctioned in the qualification round. The incident left her immensely saddened.

Dravid remarked, "In lot of their lives, I can imagine the pressure that involves in all these sports because this is the pinnacle of their sports. It doesn't get bigger than this and for her to be able to do that, truly a great day for Indian sports. What an inspiring story for so many back home."

Manu Bhaker bagged the bronze medal with a score of 221.7 after a tough battle. The gold was secured by Korea's Jin Ye Oh, who set a new Games record with a score of 243.2, while her teammate Kim Yeji settled for the silver, scoring 241.3.

(With PTI Inputs)