File picture of Esha Singh who received the ladies’s air pistol gold on the ISSF World Cup in Ningbo on September 13, 2025. | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
At the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre, the 20-year-old edged out residence favorite Yao Qianxun by 0.1 level in a tense closing. Reigning Olympic champion Oh Yejin of South Korea took the bronze.
This was Esha’s maiden World Cup gold within the occasion and it helped India transfer to fifth spot within the medal standings, becoming a member of 4 different nations with a gold medal.
Hosts China lead the standings with two gold, 4 silver and one bronze. India have fielded their fourth to sixth ranked shooters in every occasion on the match.
“I am very happy as this is the first event that I started with and to win a world cup gold in it…I am just happy that some of my goals are being reached,” Singh mentioned.
Speaking on the subsequent challenges forward, she mentioned, “Yes obviously the world championship is the next big one for the year. We are training very hard for it and I am sure you will see very good things from the Indian team in Cairo.”
On her mindset within the closing, she mentioned: “Yes I am aware of things like India has not won a medal yet and that there are great shooters in the field, but I have played many finals against these guys and its them all the time so I now know that the pistol is in my hand and the battle is with me so I try to enjoy the match as much as possible.”
Esha and teammate Rhythm Sangwan had certified for the ultimate with similar scores of 578, securing the final two obtainable spots.
Yao topped qualification with 584, whereas India’s Palak Gulia, competing for rating factors, shot 586. Surbhi Rao completed twenty fifth with 568.
In the eight-shooter closing, Rhythm started strongly, main after the primary sequence with Esha in second.
By the midway mark, Esha moved into the lead whereas Rhythm slipped to fifth, the place she finally completed.
As eliminations progressed, each Indians maintained composure.
Rhythm briefly climbed to fourth with a ten.8 on her fifteenth shot however bowed out after the 18th.
Esha, in the meantime, maintained her rhythm, producing two 10.7s at essential phases to stave off Yao’s late surge.
She sealed the gold with a closing rating of 242.6, simply 0.1 away from the Chinese shooter.
In different outcomes, Bhavesh Shekhawat completed twenty second within the males’s 25m rapid-fire pistol with 575, adopted by Pradeep Singh Shekhawat in twenty third with the identical rating. Mandeep Singh positioned thirty ninth with 562.
Published – September 13, 2025 12:50 pm IST
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