Daijiworld Media Network - Munich
Munich, May 28: India’s young shooter Esha Singh created history at the ISSF World Cup in Munich by winning gold in the women’s 25m pistol event and setting a new world record in the process.
The 21-year-old Indian shooter registered a stunning score of 43 hits out of 50 in the final, establishing a new world record at both senior and junior levels.
Esha delivered a calm and dominant performance in a high-pressure final that featured Olympic champion Yang Ji-in and former world champion Doreen Vennekamp. With the victory, she also secured direct qualification for the ISSF World Cup Final scheduled to be held in Rome later this year.
The Indian shooter took control early in the medal round with three consecutive perfect series and maintained remarkable consistency throughout the eliminations.
Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp settled for silver with 38 hits, while Bulgaria’s Miroslava Mincheva claimed bronze after scoring 31. Olympic champion Yang Ji-in, who had topped qualification with 592-28x, finished fifth after struggling for consistency in the final.
The gold medal was also India’s first individual medal of the ISSF World Cup season across rifle, pistol, and shotgun events.
Earlier, Esha had qualified for the final in fifth position with an aggregate score of 587-19x, including 293 in precision and 294 in rapid fire. However, she appeared far sharper in the final and steadily widened the gap over her competitors.
Several experienced shooters faltered during the elimination stages, but Esha continued to deliver clean hits under pressure to finish with a record-breaking tally of 43.
Indian shooters have produced encouraging performances on the World Cup circuit this season. Mukesh Nelavalli and Palak Gulia had earlier won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event in Granada, while Vivaan Kapoor and Neeru Dhanda secured bronze in the mixed team trap event in Almaty.
Despite Esha’s success, there was disappointment for other Indian shooters in the women’s 25m pistol category. Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker narrowly missed qualification for the final after finishing 12th with 582-19x, while Rahi Sarnobat ended in 14th place.
Esha will next compete in the women’s 10m air pistol event in Munich alongside Manu Bhaker as her campaign at the World Cup continues.