Esha Singh Secures Silver in Women's 25m Pistol at 2026 Asian Games

Esha Singh's Silver Medal Triumph

On Monday, Esha Singh of India clinched the silver medal in the women's 25m pistol event during the 2026 Asian Games, following an intense series of shoot-offs against China's Xiao Jiaruixian. Both competitors finished with 38 points, but Xiao took home the gold after a second shoot-off. North Korea's Kim Hyon Suk earned the bronze medal with a score of 34 points.

Thrilling Final Round

Esha started the final with a strong performance, hitting all five targets in her first series, which allowed her to take an early lead. She maintained her position at the top after the second series, scoring four hits for a total of 10 shots.

However, after a three-hit series, Esha fell to second place as Xiao surged ahead with 13 points.

In response, Esha regained her momentum with four hits in the subsequent series, tying the score with Xiao at 16 points after 20 shots.

After 25 shots, both Esha and Xiao were tied at 20 points, with Kim also joining them at the top. Esha briefly dropped to third place but then delivered a crucial five-hit series to secure her spot on the podium.

Deciding Shoot-off for Silver

After 40 shots, Xiao and Kim were tied at 32 points, while Esha had 31. This set the stage for a shoot-off to determine the silver and bronze medals. In the initial two shoot-off series, both Esha and Kim scored three hits. However, Esha triumphed in the final round, hitting three targets compared to Kim's two, thus securing at least a silver medal.

Gold Medal Showdown

Esha then faced Xiao in the gold medal shoot-off. Both shooters ended the regular final and the first shoot-off with 38 points, necessitating a five-shot contest. In this decisive shoot-off, Xiao narrowly edged out Esha, hitting three targets to Esha's two, leaving the Indian shooter with the silver medal.

India's Medal Count

This achievement marks India's 39th medal at the ongoing Asian Games, contributing to a total of four golds, 17 silvers, and 18 bronze medals thus far.