Esha Singh strikes gold, Manu Bhaker adds bronze in India’s double podium at Hangzhou World Cup

Hangzhou: Indian shooters Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker delivered a memorable double podium finish in the women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou, China, with Esha clinching gold and Manu securing bronze to continue India’s impressive medal haul at the competition.

Esha produced a composed and commanding performance in the eight-woman final, registering 40 hits to finish atop the podium. Paris 2024 double Olympic medallist Manu, meanwhile, battled through a fiercely contested final, surviving a crucial shoot-off before ending with 28 hits to claim the bronze medal.

The Indian duo had laid the foundation with outstanding performances in qualification. Manu topped the standings with 586-20x, while Esha followed closely with 585-18x as both comfortably progressed to the medal round. Former Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat narrowly missed out on the final after shooting 582-16x, while Simranpreet Kaur Brar (576-20x) and Abhidnya Ashok Patil (573-16x) competed under Ranking Points Only (RPO) status.

The gold medal further cements Hyderabad’s 21-year-old Esha’s impressive career. Earlier this season at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Esha made history by breaking both senior and junior world records with 43 hits in the final. As a Paris 2024 Olympian and Arjuna Award recipient, Esha continues to rise among the world’s top shooters.

For Manu, the bronze medal highlights her exceptional consistency on the world stage, building on her historic Paris 2024 Olympic run, where she made history as the first athlete from independent India to earn two medals at a single Games. IANS

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