Asian Games 2026: Esha Singh Sneaks into 25m Pistol Final as India’s Team Medal Hopes Collapse After Rahi’s Unfortunate Zero

India's women's 25m pistol campaign at the Asian Games 2026 ended with a mixture of relief and frustration on Sunday, as Esha Singh squeezed into the individual final while the country's team medal hopes disappeared in extraordinary fashion.

Esha finished the qualification round with 580 points, securing the eighth and final qualification spot. Manu Bhaker finished 11th with 579, while Rahi Sarnobat ended the qualification in 30th with 568. The qualification result means Esha will be India's only representative in the individual final, scheduled for 10:45am IST.

However, the biggest talking point from the event was India's missed opportunity in the team competition.

India entered the rapid stage with a realistic opportunity to challenge for a team medal. Rahi Sarnobat had scored 287 in the precision stage and knew that a strong rapid performance could keep India in contention. According to reports from the venue, however, her campaign took a dramatic turn during her opening rapid series.

Sarnobat hit the frame of the target with one of her shots, meaning the shot did not register on the scoring area and was effectively recorded as zero. That single mistake proved hugely costly.

India's team medal hopes disappeared, while Sarnobat's own prospects of reaching the individual final were also effectively ended. India eventually finished fifth in the team competition, while Sarnobat finished 30th individually. It was a particularly painful outcome because the team had entered the rapid stage knowing that every point would matter in the medal race.

Esha survives a tense qualification battle

While India's team hopes disappeared, Esha Singh kept the individual campaign alive. Esha entered the rapid stage having scored 290 in precision. She then produced another 290 in rapid, finishing her rapid series with scores of 98, 96 and 96. That gave her a combined score of 580 out of a possible 600. For much of the qualification, Esha sat comfortably inside the top eight. But as the remaining shooters completed their rounds, the margin became increasingly tight.

Esha eventually finished eighth, tied on 580 with Chinese Taipei's Cheng Yen-Ching. The qualification position was decided by the number of shots in the centre of the target. Esha had 24 bulls-eyes, compared with Cheng's 22, allowing the Indian to take the final qualifying spot.

It was an extremely narrow escape.

Manu Bhaker, India's double Olympic medallist, was also in contention for a place in the final. She completed her rapid stage with a total of 579, including a 99 in her final series.

Bhaker's overall score left her just outside the top eight. She eventually finished 11th, one point behind Esha. The result means Bhaker's wait for an individual Asian Games medal continues. Given her international résumé and Olympic experience, the qualification exit will be a disappointing outcome, particularly in an event where a single point separated her from the final.

The women's 25m pistol qualification had presented India with a genuine team medal opportunity. The combination of Esha, Manu and Rahi had the potential to produce a strong aggregate score, but Rahi's first rapid series effectively removed India from the team medal race. The situation was especially frustrating because the team competition is decided by the combined performances of all three shooters. A major scoring error by one athlete can therefore have an immediate impact on the entire team.

India ultimately finished fifth in the team event. Individually, Rahi's 568 placed her 30th, while Manu's 579 was enough for 11th but not enough to reach the final.

Only Esha remained standing.

Esha will now carry India's hopes into the individual final. Her qualification score of 580 places her among the eight finalists, but the narrow manner in which she qualified illustrates how competitive the event has been. Her 24 bulls-eyes ultimately proved decisive against Cheng Yen-Ching, who finished with the same overall score but fewer centre hits.

The final will therefore offer Esha an opportunity to turn a difficult qualification session into a potential medal challenge. The Indian shooter will need to reset completely after the tense qualification battle. The final is a separate competition, and the eight qualifiers will start with a fresh opportunity to fight for the podium.

India's 25m pistol campaign will ultimately be remembered for contrasting moments. Esha Singh survived by the smallest of margins and secured a place in the final. Manu Bhaker missed qualification by one point, while Rahi Sarnobat's unfortunate zero during the rapid stage had major consequences for both her individual campaign and India's team medal hopes.

For a country with significant strength in Olympic pistol shooting, the results represent another difficult day at the range.

But Esha still has one opportunity remaining.

At 10:45am IST, she will return for the women's 25m pistol final as India's sole representative, carrying the country's remaining medal hopes in the event.