Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on a gold medal in the 25m Women’s Pistol final against Vietnam’s Thuy Trang Nguyen at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. Esha Singh secured a bronze medal, while Naamya Kapoor won gold in the junior category, adding to India’s total of 60 medals, including 37 gold, 13 silver, and 10 bronze.
In a closely contested final, Esha Singh and Thuy Trang Nguyen were in a tight battle for the top spot, with the lead changing after each series. Despite the Indian shooters putting pressure on Nguyen, her exceptional performance in the sixth series gave her a two-point lead. Manu and Esha managed to close the gap but couldn’t overtake Nguyen.
Esha Singh, initially leading with a score of 30, settled for bronze after missing all her shots in the ninth series. The final came down to a shoot-off between Manu and Nguyen, with both initially hitting two shots each. However, in the subsequent shoot-off, Manu missed three shots, resulting in Nguyen claiming the gold.
In the junior finals, Naamya Kapoor clinched gold after a tense shoot-off, while Anjali Bhagwat secured the bronze. The Indian teams also performed well, securing gold in both the senior and junior categories, showcasing their dominance in the championship.
