Gold for Esha Singh; Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker won bronze at the Shooting World Cup in Hangzhou

Gold for Esha Singh (centre) and Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker (right) won bronze NEW DELHI: Esha Singh clinched gold for India at the ISSF World Championships in Hangzhou on Monday, winning the women’s 25m pistol title in a commanding display, while two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker added a bronze to complete a memorable outing for the country.The win marked India’s first gold medal at the ongoing World Championships and further boosted their campaign in Hangzhou. Esha, who set a world record in the event earlier this year, lived up to her billing by placing on the podium in the final with a score of 40 out of 50.The 21-year-old remained in control throughout the competition, finishing three points ahead of China’s Yueyue Zhang, who took silver with 37. Esha consistently found her rhythm in both stages of the final before pulling away in the knockout rounds to seal an emphatic victory.Manu Bhaker also returned to the podium after securing bronze in the same event. The Indian shooter edged North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Pak in a thrilling double shootout to finish third with 28 points, giving India two medalists in the women’s 25m event.Esha’s latest triumph continues an impressive season for the shooter from Hyderabad, who broke the world record during the ISSF World Championships in Munich earlier this year. Now she has added another major international title to her growing list of achievements.The double podium also took India’s total medal tally in Hangzhou to three. Earlier in the competition, Sainyam won silver in the women’s 10m air pistol event.With Esha’s gold and two silver and a bronze medals, India climbed to second place in the medal standings behind hosts China, who continue to lead the table with 14 medals, including six gold.