Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh fall short in Cairo final

India’s top pistol shooters Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh endured heartbreak in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the ISSF World Championships on Monday, missing out on medals despite promising starts. The duo, who entered the final as genuine contenders, saw their campaigns collapse under pressure in the closing rounds, leaving India to settle for a team silver.

Manu, a double Olympic medallist and reigning 10m air pistol bronze winner from the Paris Games, looked on course for another podium finish after taking the lead on the 13th shot with a superb 10.7. But an untimely 8.8 on the very next attempt proved costly, sending her plummeting from first to seventh. She eventually finished with 139.5 points, a disappointing result after such a strong opening.

Esha Singh, the 20-year-old who had recently clinched World Cup gold in Ningbo, China, also struggled to maintain her rhythm in the high-pressure final. After an excellent 10.7 earlier in the round, she faltered with an 8.4 on her 14th shot, bowing out in sixth place.

China’s 20-year-old Yao Qianxun produced a masterclass under pressure to win her maiden world title with 243.0 points. Hong Kong-China’s Ho Ching Shing claimed silver with 241.2, while another Chinese shooter, Wei Qian, took bronze with 221.4.

India, however, managed a silver in the team event, thanks to the combined efforts of Esha (583), Manu (580) and world No.1 Suruchi Inder Singh (577), who totaled 1740 points to finish second behind China.

In the qualification rounds, Esha had displayed outstanding form, shooting 583 including a rare perfect 100 in the third series to qualify fourth for the final. Manu followed close behind in sixth with 580. Suruchi, just 19 and already a four-time World Cup gold medallist, scored 577 to finish 14th among 99 shooters in a highly competitive field.

India currently stand fifth on the overall medals table with one gold, three silver and two bronze medals, while China continue to dominate with six gold, three silver and two bronze.

Despite the missed podium finishes, the Indian shooting contingent’s consistent performances underline their growing depth though Monday’s final was a reminder that at the world stage, precision under pressure makes all the difference.