In a gripping climax to the women’s 25m pistol event at the 2026 Asian Games, Indian shooter Esha Singh clinched a hard-earned silver medal after a high-voltage shoot-off duel.
Esha’s Silver Thriller
Esha Singh kept India’s shooting medal hopes alive after being the sole Indian to navigate through a tough qualification round into the 8-shooter final with a total score of 580.
In the individual final, Esha opened strongly, keeping pace at the top of the leaderboards from the outset. As elimination rounds thinned out the field, Esha demonstrated nerves of steel, battling through multiple tie-breaking shoot-offs. She outlasted North Korea’s Kim Hyon Suk in a grueling third shoot-off to advance to the gold medal duel against China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan.
In the final head-to-head showdown, Xiao clinched the gold medal in a second shoot-off after Esha missed her final attempt, leaving the 21-year-old Indian prodigy with a remarkable silver medal.
Team Event Heartbreak
Earlier in the day, India’s trio of Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Rahi Sarnobat finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol team event with a total score of 1,727 points.
- Precision Phase: India held strong in 2nd position right behind China.
- Rapid Phase: A challenging rapid-fire series—highlighted by a frame hit from veteran Rahi Sarnobat—caused India to slip down the standings.
- Individual Standings: Manu Bhaker finished 11th (579 points) to miss out on the individual final, while Rahi Sarnobat finished 30th (568 points).
- Podium Finishers: China claimed team gold with 1,743 points, followed by South Korea (Silver) and Chinese Taipei (Bronze).
