India Shines Again: Esha Singh Claims Silver at Shooting World Cup in Argentina

APRIL6,2025

World champion in the Mixed Team Air Pistol event Esha Singh, won her second individual International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup silver, a 35 score in the final of the women's 25m pistol event, behind China's gold medalist Sun Yujie with 38 hits after the final 10-shot and last series of five. Countrywoman of Sun, Feng Sixuan won the bronze. Double Olympic medal winner and finalist Manu Bhaker finished at sixth position.

India has bagged one medal of each colour in the current ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after Chain Singh picked the bronze in men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) and Sift Kaur Samra, a gold, in women's 3P on Friday.

The Indians needed to qualify top eight at dawn on Saturday morning, and Manu, fourth after the overnight's session, added a good 294 to the second round of rapid fire games to finish overall third with 585. Hungarian female shooter Veronika Major, who had beaten Manu to secure a third medal at the Paris Olympics, headed the field with 587.

Esha also scored amazingly well, a 294 in the rapid-fire to reach a total of 579, just enough to qualify two Indians to the final. Simranpreet Kaur Brar, the third Indian aspirant, had a disastrous set of rapid-fires to come up short with 576.

Manu was also the obvious leader at the start of the last, a flawless five in the third set putting her on joint top with the two Chinese, Feng and Sun. Esha came into contention from the third set, a four-for of accurate hits putting her on joint fourth from seventh.

Then there was simply mind-boggling play by the Hyderabad girl, who Maximumed the fifth, sixth and seventh series to move up to sole second, one behind Sun.

While heaviest Tien Chia-Chen of Chinese Taipei, Doreen Vennekamp of Germany and Manu goofed up, there was a showdown between Sun and Esha and the first finished more strongly to grab a deserving gold. Another medal for the Chinese was secured by Feng by emerging victorious in a shoot-off from three. Manu also failed in a shoot-off against Tien, scoring only one hit as compared to two by Tien.

India's men's and women's skeet bid was quenched in the very first qualifying round itself. Raiza Dhillon with 116 was ranked number 11 in women's skeet, and Ganemat Sekhon (114) and Darshna Rathore (112) were ranked 14 and 17 respectively.

In the skeet men, India's top gun was placed in 20th position with 116 points by Anant Jeet Singh Naruka. Bhavtegh Gill took one position lower at 116 points, while Gurjoat Khangura finished 22nd with 115 points.