Esha Singh overcame the pressure of expectations to win women’s 25m pistol gold, while Manu Bhaker claimed bronze at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou.
Esha wins gold, Manu bags bronze in women's 25m pistol at ISSF WC in Hangzhou/ Credit: NRAI
Esha Singh said she was relieved to overcome the pressure of expectations after clinching gold in the women’s 25m pistol event, while Paris Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker claimed bronze to complete a memorable double podium finish for India at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou on Sunday.
Esha delivered a composed performance in the eight-woman final, registering 40 hits to take the gold medal. Manu fought through a tightly contested final, surviving a crucial shoot-off before finishing with 28 hits to secure bronze.
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Reflecting on her victory, Esha admitted the expectations following her record-breaking performance at the ISSF World Cup in Munich earlier this season had made the competition more challenging.
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“This match was very pressure-riding for me because of the previous medal I had. The better you get in your event, the more you feel that weight of prestige you have to conquer. I’m happy that I was able to get past it today and grateful that I had the ability to endure it.
“I really love competing here in Hangzhou. Recalling the Asian Games, where I won four medals, I was excited to come back. Being familiar with the range, the lighting and the atmosphere in the final hall definitely counted in my favour,” she said.
Manu described her bronze medal as an important step in her preparations for the upcoming World Championships and Asian Games.
“This medal is very important because it acts as a stepping stone. It gives me clarity on what is working and the direction I want to head in. While the medal boosts my confidence, the experience I gained from this competitive match will help even more as we look ahead to the World Championships and Asian Games,” she said.
The Indian pair had set the tone in qualification, with Manu topping the standings on 586-20x and Esha finishing second with 585-18x to qualify comfortably for the final.
Former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat narrowly missed out on the medal round after shooting 582-16x, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar (576-20x) and Abhidnya Ashok Patil (573-16x) competed under Ranking Points Only (RPO) status.
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