Manu Bhaker's Agonizing Shoot-Off Defeat at Asian Championship; India Secures Team Gold
In a dramatic and emotionally charged finale at the Asian Championship on Monday, Olympic double bronze medallist Manu Bhaker experienced a heartbreakingly close finish, ultimately settling for silver in the women's 25m pistol event after losing a tense shoot-off. Meanwhile, her compatriot Esha Singh bolstered India's medal tally with a well-earned bronze, showcasing the nation's depth in shooting talent.
A Nail-Biting Final Duel
The championship final unfolded as one of the most tightly contested matches of the entire competition, featuring a gripping duel between Manu Bhaker and Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Trang. Both elite shooters concluded the regulation rounds with identical scores of 35, forcing a sudden-death shoot-off where Trang maintained her composure under immense pressure to clinch the gold medal. The battle for the podium remained on a knife-edge throughout, with Trang, Bhaker, Singh, and fellow Indian Olympian Rhythm Sangwan all vying for the top position for the majority of the final.
Rollercoaster of Shifting Fortunes
Esha Singh launched the contest with a strong start, opening with a perfect five in the first series, while Manu Bhaker and Nguyen Thuy Trang each managed four hits. The standings fluctuated dramatically after every series, reflecting the intense pressure and high stakes of the championship. A flawless sixth series provided Trang with a crucial two-point cushion, but the competition reignited when she faltered in the seventh series, hitting just one target. Bhaker and Singh seized this opportunity to close the gap and re-enter the gold medal contention.
Esha Singh briefly took charge, leading with a score of 30 after the eighth series. However, a dramatic turn occurred in the ninth series when she failed to register a single hit, effectively ending her gold medal hopes and consigning her to the bronze medal position. In the decisive final series, Manu Bhaker struck three targets and Trang managed two, leveling both shooters at 35 points and setting the stage for a nail-biting shoot-off. The Vietnamese shooter ultimately prevailed in this sudden-death phase, leaving Bhaker to accept the silver medal after coming agonizingly close to the top step of the podium.
Indian Dominance in Qualification and Team Events
Earlier in the day, Esha Singh had topped the qualification round, which included both precision and duelling stages, with an impressive score of 589. Manu Bhaker followed closely with 584, as three Indian shooters advanced to the eight-athlete final. India further demonstrated its shooting prowess by dominating the team event, with Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Rhythm Sangwan combining for a total score of 1,751 to claim the gold medal. They finished ahead of Chinese Taipei, who scored 1,735, and Vietnam, with 1,729.
Junior Category Success
The success extended to the junior category, where Naamya Kapoor secured gold in the 25m pistol junior final after another tense shoot-off. Kapoor, already recognized as the youngest Indian to win a World Championship medal, tied with Indonesia's Rihadatul Asyifa on 29 points in regulation before producing three hits in the shoot-off as her rival missed all. Anjali Bhagwat added to India's medal haul by securing the bronze with a score of 24. Additionally, the Indian junior team finished atop the podium in the team event, underscoring the nation's strong pipeline of emerging shooting talent.
