Manu Bhaker had to settle for silver after a dramatic finish in the women’s 25m pistol event at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship, New Delhi 2026, losing out to Vietnam’s Thuy Trang Nguyen after two tense shoot-offs at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range here on Tuesday. Esha Singh added to India’s medal haul by claiming bronze, her second individual podium finish of the championships.
The final was a gripping affair, with Esha opening strongly by shooting a perfect five in the first series, while Manu and Nguyen managed fours. The three remained locked in a tight battle through the early stages, exchanging positions after almost every series. Nguyen briefly gained the upper hand with a flawless sixth series that gave her a two-point cushion, but Manu and Esha clawed back after the Vietnamese shooter dropped a shot in the seventh.
Esha led the field with 30 hits after eight series, only to suffer a costly slip in the ninth, where she missed all five shots, ending her gold medal hopes and leaving her to contend for bronze. In the final series, Manu scored three while Nguyen hit two, bringing both shooters level on 35 and forcing a shoot-off.
The first shoot-off saw both Manu and Nguyen register two hits apiece, extending the contest. In the second, Nguyen held her nerve as Manu missed three shots, sealing the gold for the Vietnamese shooter and leaving Manu with silver. Rhythm Sangwan, the third Indian finalist, finished just outside the medals in fourth place.
India also enjoyed success in the junior women’s 25m pistol event, where Naamya Kapoor clinched gold after another nerve-racking shoot-off. Kapoor, the youngest Indian to win a World Championship medal, was tied with Indonesia’s Rihadatul Asyifa on 29 hits at the end of regulation. In the shoot-off, Kapoor produced three hits while Asyifa missed all her shots. Anjali Bhagwat secured bronze with a score of 24, while Parisha Gupta, who had topped qualification, finished fifth.
The day ended on a high for the hosts as India swept the team golds in both the senior and junior women’s 25m pistol events, taking the overall medal tally at the championships to an impressive 60, including 37 gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze.