India’s Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in Hangzhou on Monday.
Esha, the world record holder in the event, dominated the final, finishing with a score of 40/50, three more than second-placed Yueyue Zhang of China.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker won bronze after beating North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Pak in a thrilling double shoot-off.
A final bursting with talent ⭐
Esha Singh 🇮🇳 claims the World Cup win, followed by Zhang Yueyue 🇨🇳 taking silver and teammate Manu Bhaker 🇮🇳 claiming bronze!#ISSF#ShootingSportpic.twitter.com/vJ4EqEB4Sb
Reflecting on overcoming the mental pressure following her record-setting World Cup gold in Munich earlier this season, Esha Singh said, “This match was very pressure-ridden for me because of the previous medal I had. The better you get in your event, the more you feel that weight of prestige you have to conquer. I’m happy that I was able to get past it today and grateful that I had the ability to endure it.
“I really love competing here in Hangzhou. Recalling how the competition went during the Asian Games, where I won four medals, I was really excited to come back. Being familiar with the range, the lighting, and the atmosphere in the final hall definitely counted in my favour.”
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Speaking after the match on her performance and building momentum for the season ahead, Manu Bhaker said, “This medal is very important because it acts as a stepping stone. It gives me clarity on what is working and the direction I want to head in. While the medal surely boosts my confidence, the experience I gained from this competitive match will help even more as we look ahead to major assignments like the World Championships and Asian Games.”
With this, India swelled its Hangzhou medal tally to three — Sainyam had earlier clinched the silver medal in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event.
India is now second in the medal table behind China, which has already bagged 14 medals, including six golds.
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Published on Jul 27, 2026