New Delhi: Indian shooter Esha Singh continued her stellar form from last year by winning the women’s individual 10m air pistol gold at the Asian Championship (pistol/rifle) on Wednesday, while also helping the Indian team secure another top finish. On the opening day of the championship, world champion Samrat Rana settled for the bronze medal.
The 21-year-old Esha staged a strong comeback in the final to post a score of 239.8, fending off challenges from two shooters from Chinese Taipei – Cheng Yen-Ching, who claimed silver with 235.4, and Yu Ai-Wen, who took bronze with 217.7 – along with compatriot Suruchi Singh. This victory marked Esha’s second individual senior Asian Championship gold. She had previously won the season-ending ISSF World Cup gold in Ningbo, China, last year, and had clinched her first continental title in Jakarta in 2024 at the age of 19.
Suruchi Singh, 19, who led the final after the first 10-shot stage, faltered during the elimination rounds and ended up in fourth place. Manu Bhaker, a double bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics and the third Indian to make it to the eight-shooter final, finished seventh.
The competition witnessed fluctuating scores, with shooters ranging from highs in the upper 10s to lows in the 8s. Amid this inconsistency, Esha Singh composure proved decisive. She recorded three consecutive scores of 10.4 and above, which propelled her to gold, while the two Chinese Taipei shooters dropped sharply with several 9s and 8s.
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In the qualification round, Suruchi finished second with a score of 576, while Manu and Esha Singhboth recorded 575. Manu edged Esha for final qualification based on a higher ‘inner 10’ count, with all three advancing to the final.
The trio – Suruchi, Manu, and Esha – combined to secure the team gold with a total of 1,726 points, comfortably ahead of Vietnam (1,713) and Chinese Taipei (1,711), who took silver and bronze, respectively.
Samrat Rana settles for bronze
World champion Samrat Rana, who had been the standout performer at last year’s World Championships in Cairo, raised hopes of another podium finish after shooting 581 in the qualification round, placing him second going into the final.
However, in the medal round, the 21-year-old shot 220.3, finishing behind Vladimir Svechnikov of Uzbekistan, who won gold with 242.0, and Kazakhstan’s Valeriy Rakhimzhan, who took silver with 241.0. Sharvan Kumar, the other Indian finalist, finished fourth.
In the team event, India claimed silver with Samrat (581), Sharvan (578), and world championships bronze medallist Varun Tomar (573) combining for a total of 1,732 points. Uzbekistan also tallied 1,732 points but secured the gold due to a higher ‘inner 10’ score of 58 compared to India’s 52, while Kazakhstan finished third with 1,731 points.
India has sent its largest contingent to the championship, with 118 shooters, while Kazakhstan fielded the second-largest squad with 35 athletes. Strong teams are also expected from regional powerhouses South Korea and Japan, along with competitive shooters from Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
Other Results: In the men’s 10m air pistol junior event, Gavin Antony of India won gold with a score of 240.9, followed by Imandos Bektenov of Kyrgyzstan with 236.7, and Maruf Aulia of Indonesia with 215.6. In the team event, India secured first place with 1,735 points, while Kazakhstan finished second with 1,680.
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