Cairo (Egypt): India’s top pistol shooters Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh endured heartbreak in the women’s 10m air pistol final at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo on Monday, both missing out on individual medals after promising starts.
Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, who had earlier won bronze medals in the individual and mixed team events at the Paris Olympics, appeared in control of the final before a costly 8.8 on her 14th shot saw her plummet from first place to seventh. She finished with a score of 139.5.
Esha Singh, the multiple Asian Games medallist who recently won World Cup gold in Ningbo, China, also faltered in the decisive phase. The 20-year-old shot a poor 8.4 on her 14th attempt after a superb 10.7, finishing sixth in the eight-shooter final.
China’s Yao Qianxun, also 20, displayed remarkable composure to clinch gold with 243.0, while Ho Ching Shing of Hong Kong-China took silver (241.2) and China’s Wei Qian secured bronze (221.4).
India, however, found consolation in the team silver medal, as Esha (583), Manu Bhaker (580), and world No.1 Suruchi Inder Singh (577) combined for an aggregate of 1740, finishing second behind China.
Both Manu and Esha had qualified impressively for the final. Esha, who became India’s youngest national champion in air pistol at just 13, shot 583 in qualification, including a perfect 100 in the third series, to finish fourth. Manu followed closely with 580, placing sixth.
Manu had even seized the lead with a 10.7 on her 13th shot, before her 8.8 derailed her medal hopes. The third Indian, the 19-year-old Suruchi Inder Singh, who has won four World Cup gold medals this year, shot 577 to finish 14th in a high-quality field of 99 shooters.
With one gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, India currently sit fifth on the medals table, while China lead with six gold, three silver, and two bronze.
(IANS)
