Esha Singh Shines at Asian Championship, Secures Gold for India

Esha Singh showcased her exceptional talent at the Asian Championship, winning gold in the women's individual 10m air pistol event. Her performance not only secured her second individual senior Asian Championship gold but also contributed to India's team gold alongside fellow shooters. Meanwhile, Samrat Rana, despite a strong qualification round, settled for bronze in the men's event. With a large contingent of shooters representing India, the championship promises exciting competitions ahead. Discover more about the highlights and results from this thrilling event.

By Narendra Chaudhary Feb 4, 2026, 16:27 IST

Esha Singh's Stellar Performance

New Delhi: Esha Singh, an Olympian, continued her impressive streak from the previous year by winning the gold medal in the women's individual 10m air pistol event. Her performance contributed significantly to India's success on the first day of the Asian Championship (pistol-rifle) held on Wednesday, while world champion Samrat Rana secured a bronze medal.

At just 21 years old, Esha made a remarkable comeback in the final, scoring 239.8 and overcoming fierce competition from two shooters from Chinese Taipei, Cheng Yen-Ching (silver with 235.4) and Yu Ai-Wen (bronze with 217.7), as well as her fellow Indian, Suruchi Singh.

Esha had previously clinched the ISSF World Cup gold in Ningbo, China, and won her first continental title in Jakarta in 2024 at the young age of 19.

Suruchi, aged 19, initially led the final after the first 10 shots but fell to fourth place during the elimination round. Manu Bhaker, who earned two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, finished seventh.

Despite the competition not reaching high standards, Esha maintained her composure, achieving three scores above 10.4, while her competitors struggled with lower scores.

In the qualification round, Suruchi placed second with a score of 576, while both Manu and Esha scored 575. Manu advanced based on a higher count of 'inner 10s', and all three progressed to the final.

The trio of Suruchi (576), Manu (575), and Esha (575) collectively won the team gold with a total of 1,726 points, outpacing Vietnam (1,713) and Chinese Taipei (1,711), who took silver and bronze, respectively.

Samrat Rana's Performance

Samrat, who excelled at last year's World Championships in Cairo, had high expectations for another podium finish in this season's opener.

He began strong, scoring 581 in the qualification round, placing him second heading into the final.

However, during the medal round, the 21-year-old managed only 220.3 points, finishing behind Uzbekistan's Vladimir Svechnikov (gold with 242.0) and Kazakhstan's Valeriy Rakhimzhan (silver with 241.0).

Another Indian competitor, Sharvan Kumar, finished fourth in the final.

India secured the team silver in this event, with Samrat (581), Sharvan (578), and world championships bronze medallist Varun Tomar (573) totaling 1,732 points.

Uzbekistan also scored 1,732 points but won gold due to a superior 'inner 10' score of 58 compared to India's 52. Kazakhstan closely followed in third with 1,731 points.

India has sent its largest contingent of 118 shooters to the championship, while Kazakhstan has 35 athletes. Regional rivals South Korea and Japan have also sent strong teams, with competitors from Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, and Hong Kong expected to perform well.

Other Results

In the men's junior 10m air pistol event, Gavin Antony from India won with a score of 240.9, followed by Imandos Bektenov from Kyrgyzstan (236.7) and Maruf Aulia from Indonesia (215.6).

The team event was won by India with 1,735 points, while Kazakhstan finished second with 1,680.