Ningbo, China: Olympian and reigning Mixed Team Pistol World Champion Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol on Saturday, ending India’s medal drought in the tournament. The 20-year-old shooter narrowly defeated local favorite Yao Qianxun by just 0.1 points in a thrilling final at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center. South Korea’s Oh Yejin, the current Olympic champion, took the bronze medal.
This victory marked Esha’s first World Cup gold and helped India secure fifth place in the overall medal tally, tied with four other countries. Host nation China led the table with two golds, four silvers, and one bronze. India fielded shooters ranking fourth to sixth in each event, showcasing depth in talent.
Speaking after her win, Esha said, “I am extremely happy as this was my first competition and I won a World Cup gold.” She added, “The next big challenge this year is the World Championship, and we are training hard. I am confident that the Indian team will deliver great performances in Cairo.”
Both Esha and teammate Ridham Sangwan qualified for the finals with a score of 578, securing the last two available spots. Yao led the qualification with 584, while India’s Palak Gulia, competing for ranking points, scored 586. Surbhi Rao finished 25th with 568.
In the eight-shooter final, Ridham started strong, leading after the first series while Esha was in second. As eliminations progressed, both maintained composure. Ridham fell out after the 18th shot in fourth place, while Esha maintained her rhythm, hitting two 10.7s in the decisive stages to edge out Yao and finish with a total score of 242.6, clinching gold by just 0.1 points.
In other results, Bhavesh Shekhawat finished 22nd, Pradeep Singh Shekhawat 23rd, and Mandeep Singh 39th in the Men’s 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol event.
