Esha Singh leads India to team gold as Manu Bhaker joins her in 25m pistol final at ISSF World Championships

ByTech Word News

NEW DELHI: India enjoyed a day to remember at the ISSF World Championships on Tuesday as Esha Singh led the home team to a team gold in the 25m pistol while also qualifying for the individual final alongside two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker.Esha, one of India’s leading pistol shooters, topped the Indian trio in the two-day qualifying round with a score of 590. Manu contributed 587 and Divya Subbaraju added 584 as India scored 1,761 to win the gold medal.South Korea finished second with 1,748 to take the silver, while Vietnam took the bronze with a total of 1,745.The team triumph was completed by Esha and Manu securing a berth in the individual finals, giving India a double chance to fight for another medal and a quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Esha’s strong comeback propels India

Esha, 21, finished third in the individual qualifiers with a 590, behind Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp, ​​who led the field with a 592 to tie the Olympic record, and Hungary’s Veronika Major, who shot a 591.Esha made an impressive recovery in Tuesday’s Rapid round after managing 292 in Monday’s Precision round. She shot runs of 100, 98 and 100 to score 298 in the Rapid round and finish with a total score of 590.Manu also rebounded after a modest 289 in the Precision round. The two-time Olympic medalist put together a run of 99, 99 and 100 in the Rapid round to finish sixth with a 587 and secure a place among the eight finalists.Meanwhile, Divya narrowly missed out on the individual finals, finishing 10th in the qualifiers with 584.

India is looking for another Olympic berth in the quota

The individual final offers India an opportunity to add to its Olympic quota places. The three medalists will secure quota places for their respective countries, meaning India could get two if both Esha and Manu finish on the podium.Jaypal Malviya has already opened India’s account in the Olympic qualifiers at the championship. He won silver in the men’s 10m air pistol, becoming the first shooter in the country to secure a spot in the Los Angeles Games quota for the event.The team gold in the women’s 25m pistol and the presence of two Indian shooters in the individual finals provides a significant boost to India’s campaign.