Vietnam’s Trang Wins 25m Pistol Gold, India Takes Silver, Bronze

India’s campaign in the women’s 25m pistol at the Asian Shooting Championships in New Delhi delivered high drama, breakthrough milestones and a strong team statement. Competing at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range , Manu Bhaker settled for silver after a tense shoot-off against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Trang . In an eight-woman final, Manu started cautiously but produced a late surge, drawing level at 35-35 after the regulation 50 shots (10 series of five). She had trailed by three hits after the fourth series, underscoring the scale of her comeback. The tie-break saw both shooters level at 2-2 in the first round, before Trang edged the second round 3-2 to clinch gold.

Despite the narrow defeat, the medal marked a significant personal milestone for Manu, her first individual continental medal in 25m pistol , adding a new chapter to a career previously decorated with continental success in the 10m air pistol discipline. The 25m event, which combines precision and rapid-fire stages, demands rhythm control and recovery under time pressure; Manu’s rally from behind highlighted her composure in the rapid stage, even if the shoot-off slipped away.

India’s strength in depth was evident as Esha Singh , already crowned Asian champion in the 10m air pistol earlier in the meet, claimed bronze in the 25m final with 30 hits , while Rhythm Sangwan finished fourth with 27 . Esha had earlier topped qualification with an impressive 589 (24x) , ahead of Manu’s 584 (18x) and Rhythm’s 578 (22x) , reflecting India’s command right from the preliminary stage. Abhidnya Ashok Patil shot 578 (9x) but competed under Ranking Points Only (RPO) status, keeping her out of medal contention.

The trio of Manu, Esha and Rhythm combined for a team total of 1751 to secure team gold for India, with Chinese Taipei and Vietnam completing the podium. The result reinforced India’s standing as one of Asia’s premier pistol nations, capable of converting qualification dominance into team success.

Manu’s 25m silver also came against the backdrop of a mixed championship for her. She endured a below-par outing in the 10m air pistol individual event, finishing seventh, though she contributed to India’s team gold there. In the mixed team 10m air pistol, she missed the final, making the 25m medal a timely confidence boost.

With this result, India’s senior medal tally at the championships rose to 15 medals (8 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) in rifle and pistol events. Organised by the Asian Shooting Confederation, the competition has drawn shooters from 20 countries and runs through mid-February, serving as a key benchmark event in the international shooting calendar and a form guide ahead of upcoming ISSF World Cups.