India Win Women’s 25m Pistol Team Gold at World Championships, but Manu Bhaker Misses Medal and LA 2028 Quota

India secured the women’s 25m pistol team gold medal at the 2026 ISSF World Championships in Doha, but the individual final ended in disappointment as Manu Bhaker finished fourth and Esha Singh was eliminated in eighth place. 

Despite both Indian shooters qualifying for the final, the country missed out on an individual medal and an Olympic quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Manu finished with 27 points after surviving three shoot-offs, narrowly missing the podium. Esha, meanwhile, scored 11 points and became the first shooter to be eliminated from the eight-member final.

The outcome brought contrasting emotions for the Indian contingent: a major team achievement in qualification, followed by a frustrating finish in the individual medal contest.

India had entered the final with two strong individual performances in qualification. Esha topped the Indian challenge with 590-25x to finish third overall, while Manu secured sixth place with 587-24x. Both comfortably progressed to the final. The third Indian participant, Divya Subbaraju, narrowly missed the individual final after finishing 10th with 584-19x.

Esha's qualification performance was particularly impressive. After scoring 292 in the Precision stage, she produced a near-perfect 298 in Rapid to finish with 590. Manu also delivered a consistent performance, securing her place among the eight finalists.

Their qualification results had raised hopes of an individual medal, particularly with Esha entering the final among the leading shooters and Manu bringing considerable experience from major international competitions.

India claim second world championship team gold

Although the individual final did not produce the desired result, India's performance in qualification was enough to secure the women's 25m pistol team title. Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Divya Subbaraju combined for an aggregate score of 1,761, placing India ahead of South Korea and Vietnam.

South Korea finished second with 1,748, while Vietnam claimed the bronze medal with 1,745. The victory marked India's second triumph in the women's 25m pistol team event at the World Championships, following its previous title in 2023.

Esha was India's leading performer with 590, while Manu contributed 587 and Divya added 584. The three shooters delivered the consistency required to establish a 13-point advantage over South Korea. The team gold was an important achievement for Indian shooting, demonstrating the country's strength and depth in the event even as the individual competition proved more challenging.

The individual final proved to be a difficult contest for both Indian shooters. Manu managed to stay in contention through multiple elimination stages and survived three shoot-offs. However, she eventually finished fourth with 27 points, just outside the medal positions.

The result was another painful near-miss for the Indian shooter, who has experienced several high-pressure finishes at major international competitions. Her fourth-place finish also meant that she could not secure one of the three Olympic quota places available in the event.

For Manu, the disappointment will be particularly difficult given her ability to reach the final and remain in contention through several elimination rounds. However, the final standings once again highlighted how small margins can separate a medal-winning performance from a fourth-place finish.

Esha eliminated first as India miss quota

Esha's final ended earlier than expected. Despite finishing third in qualification, the Indian shooter struggled to carry that form into the elimination stage and was the first competitor to exit the final. She finished eighth with 11 points, bringing an abrupt end to India's hopes of having both shooters challenge for the podium.

The final was won by Vietnam's Trinh Thu Vinh with 37 points, while South Korea's Yang Ji-in finished second with 35. China's Zhang Yueyue secured the bronze medal with 30 points. Manu's 27 points placed her fourth, while Portugal's Joana Castelao finished fifth with 24. Hungary's Veronika Major, Germany's Doreen Vennekamp and Esha completed the final standings.

Three Olympic quota places were available in the event, with seven of the eight finalists eligible to claim one. However, neither Indian shooter finished among the quota winners.

India's campaign in the women's 25m pistol event in Doha therefore ended with a significant team achievement but an unfulfilled individual objective. The gold medal underlined the strength of India's shooting programme, with all three competitors contributing to a championship-winning aggregate. Esha's third-place qualification finish and Manu's progression to the final had also provided a strong platform for an individual medal challenge.

However, the final exposed the fine margins involved at the highest level of the sport. Manu came close to the podium but finished fourth, while Esha could not reproduce her qualification performance in the elimination rounds.

With no individual medal and no LA 2028 Olympic quota secured in the event, India will have to continue its pursuit of qualification opportunities. The team gold offers encouragement, but the immediate takeaway from Doha will be the missed opportunity to convert strong qualification performances into individual podium finishes.