India opened its Asian Shooting Championships Rifle & Pistol campaign in emphatic fashion at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Wednesday, with Esha Singh delivering a dominant gold medal performance in the women’s 10m air pistol while reigning world champion Samrat Rana added a bronze in the men’s event.
On a day when pressure and precision defined every shot, India not only claimed the top podium spot in the women’s event but also secured the team gold, underlining its status as one of Asia’s foremost pistol-shooting nations.
Esha Singh was in a class of her own in the final. The 19-year-old produced a composed and technically superb display, finishing with a score of 239.8 comfortably ahead of the field. Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Ching Cheng, who took silver, was a distant 4.4 points behind on 235.4, while her teammate Ai-Wen Yu claimed bronze with 217.7.
Esha’s gold was built on rhythm and consistency. From the early stages of the final, she settled quickly into her timing, stringing together high-value shots while her rivals struggled to maintain stability under pressure. Even as the field narrowed, Esha continued to extend her lead, eventually turning the final phase into a controlled march to the title.
India had four shooters in the women’s final, reflecting its depth in the discipline. Suruchi Singh finished fourth with 197.7, narrowly missing out on a medal, while double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker placed seventh with 135.3 after being eliminated in the earlier rounds of the final. Despite missing the podium individually, their contributions were crucial in securing team gold.
The foundation for that team triumph was laid in qualification. While Sainyam topped the qualification round with 584, she was shooting under the Ranking Points Only (RPO) category and was therefore not eligible to progress. That opened the door for the Indian trio of Suruchi (576), Manu (575-20x), and Esha (575-18x) to all make the eight-shooter final.
Their combined qualification score of 1726 was enough to deliver India the women’s team gold, capping a near-perfect morning for the hosts even before Esha stepped onto the firing line for the final.
While Esha was writing her own story in the women’s event, Samrat Rana led India’s challenge in the men’s 10m air pistol. Competing as the reigning world champion, Samrat showed the same calm authority that has made him one of the world’s elite pistol shooters.
Samrat finished the final with a score of 220.3, which earned him the bronze medal. The gold went to Uzbekistan’s Vladimir Svechnikov, who produced a stunning 242.0, while Kazakhstan’s Valeriy Rakhimzhan took silver with 241.0. The scores reflected an exceptionally high-quality final, where margins were small and every decimal mattered. For Samrat, the bronze was a valuable reward in a fiercely contested field that included several of Asia’s top-ranked shooters. While he was unable to keep pace with the extraordinary scoring of Svechnikov and Rakhimzhan in the final phase, Samrat remained solid and composed throughout, ensuring India remained on the podium on home soil.
Sharvan Kumar, the second Indian finalist, finished just outside the medals in fourth place with 198.6, but his performance, combined with Samrat and Varun Tomar, helped India secure the men’s team silver.
Together, Samrat, Sharvan and Varun produced a combined qualification score that placed them second only to the top team, underlining India’s consistency across all three shooters.
The double podium finish gold in women’s singles, bronze in men’s singles, along with women’s team gold and men’s team silver marked a powerful start for the hosts in a championship that carries enormous significance in the build-up to the 2027 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
For Esha Singh, the victory represents another major step in her rapid rise. Already one of India’s most reliable pistol shooters, she delivered when it mattered most, showing the maturity and match temperament required at elite continental level. With the championship only just beginning, India’s pistol shooters have set the tone. The early medals will boost confidence not just for the athletes competing this week, but for the entire Indian contingent as they look to maximise podium finishes on home soil.
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The Asian Shooting Championships are expected to see intense competition across rifle and pistol events over the coming days. But thanks to Esha Singh’s golden performance and Samrat Rana’s steady bronze, India has already made a statement this is a team ready to contend at the highest level.
