ISSF World C’ships: Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh falter in 10m air pistol final, India settle for team silver
India’s top female pistol shooters, Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, both felt the sting of disappointment in the women’s 10‑meter air pistol final at the ISSF World Championship in Cairo. The pair had shown strong starts but faced crucial misses that kept them off the podium.
Manu Bhaker – the double Olympic medalist who took bronze in both the individual and mixed team events at the Paris Games – was a steady performer throughout the final. She held the lead after her 13th shot with a perfect 10.7. Unfortunately, a shaky 8.8 on her 14th shot dropped her from first to seventh place. Bhaker finished with 139.5, missing an individual medal but still delivering a promising performance.
Esha Singh – a multiple Asian Games medalist and recent World Cup gold winner in Ningbo – also slipped in the final stretch. After an impressive 10.7 on her 13th attempt, Singh’s 14th shot fell to 8.4. That error pushed her down to sixth place in the eight‑man final.
Gold went to China’s Yao Qianxun, who stayed calm under pressure to win with 243.0. Hong Kong‑Chinese shooter Ho Ching Shing took silver (241.2), while a bronze went to another Chinese athlete, Wei Qian (221.4).
Even though the two Indian shooters missed individual medals, they helped India secure a team silver. Esha scored 583, Manu 580, and world No. 1 Suruchi Inder Singh added 577 for a combined team score of 1,740, the second best in the competition behind China.
All three Indian shooters had qualified strongly for the final. Esha capped a flawless third series with a perfect 100, finishing fourth in the qualifiers. Manu, fighting her way up to sixth place, had already shown she could compete with the world’s best.
Suruchi Inder Singh, 19, added ^(her world cup achievements^), finishing 14th in a field of 99 top shooters for the event. India’s overall haul now includes one gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, placing them fifth on the medal table. China leads the table with six golds, three silvers, and two bronzes.
Source: ianslive
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