By Karunesh Kumar
New Delhi [India], September 29 (ANI): For Indian shooter Esha Singh, the Asian Games 2026 campaign was a mix of disappointment, pressure and also pride.
After a challenging outing in the 10m event, where she admitted things did not go according to plan, the Indian shooter returned to the range in the 25m pistol event, determined to respond.
The dramatic final tested her composure in ways she had not anticipated. What appeared from the outside to be an entertaining and unpredictable contest was, for Singh, an intensely nerve-wracking battle.
Even interruptions caused by jury errors, which she had never experienced before, added another layer of uncertainty. Yet rather than allowing them to derail her, Singh used the breaks to reset, process the situation and regain her focus.
She ultimately missed out on gold by the narrowest of margins, settling for silver after a dramatic shoot-off. While the result may have carried the sting of coming so close to the top step, Singh chose to view it differently, as a memorable medal earned through pressure, adversity and persistence.
Speaking about her Asian Games campaign after returning to New Delhi on Tuesday, Esha said the 25m final brought a different kind of pressure and was more nerve-wracking than it appeared, but she was pleased with how she handled the challenge and described her silver medal as a memorable achievement
“We had an amazing camp in Bhopal. It was quite a long camp, we had two camps like that, and we went into the Asian Games fully prepared. Of course, the 10m event didn’t go the way I wanted. I’m human, and sometimes things just don’t work out. But I’m going to go back, work on it, and come back stronger. As for the 25m event, I was dealing with a different kind of pressure this time, but I managed to overcome it. The final was very dramatic and definitely not something I expected. Looking back, though, I think it’s going to be a very memorable silver medal for me. It may have looked quite fun from the outside, but for me, it was extremely nerve-wracking. I did my best, and I’m really happy with the way I performed,” Esha told ANI.
In a closely fought final, Esha Singh and China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan finished tied on 38 hits after 50 shots, matching the Asian Games record and forcing a shoot-off to decide the gold medal.
Both shooters hit four of their five targets in the first shoot-off, but Xiao held her nerve in the second, edging Singh 3-2 to claim the title at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery.
The final was also interrupted twice, with technical issues causing breaks in the shoot-off proceedings.
Speaking about the interruption, Esha said the two jury errors during the final, despite being unusual and disruptive, ultimately gave her valuable moments to reset, refocus and return stronger to the competition.
“There were errors made by the jury twice during the match, which is something I’ve never experienced before. For the audience, it might have looked like the interruptions broke my rhythm or took me out of my zone, but for me, I think those breaks actually helped. They gave me a moment to reset, process what was happening, and refocus. In the end, I think I came back stronger because of it,” she added.
For Esha, the silver marked her second consecutive Asian Games medal in the women’s 25m pistol event. She had also finished runner-up at Hangzhou 2023, where she helped India clinch team gold alongside Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan. (ANI)
Related reading
