ISSF World Championship: Esha Singh Finishes Third in 25m Pistol Precision Relay as Indian Rifle Trio Misses Final

India endured a mixed day at the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Doha on Monday, November 9, with Esha Singh producing an encouraging performance in the women's 25m pistol precision qualification, while Vidarsa K Vinod, Ashi Chouksey and Anjum Moudgil missed out on the final of the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event.

Esha emerged as India's standout performer, topping her relay with a score of 292 and moving to third in the overall standings. However, Manu Bhaker endured a difficult start in the same event, while the Indian rifle contingent failed to convert promising moments into a place in the final.

With Olympic quota places for Los Angeles 2028 available at the championships, the Indian shooters will be keen to regroup as the competition moves into another important day.

Esha Singh delivered a strong performance in the precision stage of the women's 25m pistol event, finishing her relay at the top with 292 points. The double Asian Games medallist recorded series scores of 97, 96 and 99, finishing strongly in the third series to move to third place in the overall standings.

Her performance provided India with an encouraging start in the event, although the competition remains far from over. The rapid-fire stage is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, and will determine the final standings ahead of the medal-deciding round.

Manu Bhaker, meanwhile, had a relatively disappointing outing in the precision stage. She recorded 96 in each of her first two series before managing 97 in the final series. The 289-point performance left Manu 15th in the standings, meaning she will need a significantly stronger showing in the rapid stage to improve her position.

TS Divya, who competed in the first relay, recorded scores of 97, 98 and 94 for a total of 289. Her performance leaves her with ground to make up in the subsequent stage. Hungary's Veronika Major topped the first relay with an impressive 296 out of 300.

Indian Trio Misses Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Final

The women's 50m rifle 3 positions event proved a disappointing outing for India, with all three representatives missing the final. Vidarsa K. Vinod came closest to securing qualification, finishing ninth and missing the final by just one point. Her performance was particularly frustrating given that she had shown the potential to challenge for a place among the top eight.

Vidarsa produced two 99s in the prone position, which helped her climb to 13th in the standings during the competition. However, she could not sustain the momentum required to break into the qualification positions.

The narrow margin of elimination made her result especially unfortunate, as even a small improvement in her inner-10 count could have changed her position in the standings. For Ashi Chouksey, it was a difficult day. She finished 50th, with her performance falling short of expectations.

Anjum Moudgil also failed to make the cut after an underwhelming qualification round. The former World Championship silver medallist finished with 584 points, placing her in the bottom half of the leaderboard. Both Ashi and Anjum struggled in the opening kneeling position, although they briefly showed signs of recovery in prone. Each registered a perfect first series in prone, but neither managed to maintain that improvement through the remaining stages.

Anjum's performance in standing ultimately proved insufficient to keep her in contention, while Ashi also failed to make a significant recovery.

The three Indian shooters will now look to put the disappointment behind them and focus on their upcoming assignments.

With Monday's competitions concluded, India's attention will turn towards Tuesday, November 10, when the women's 25m pistol competition continues with the rapid-fire stage. Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and TS Divya will return to action, with the three Indian shooters looking to improve their positions and strengthen their chances of reaching the final.

The Indian contingent will also begin its involvement in the trap events, with pre-event training for both the men's and women's competitions featuring on the schedule.

The championship offers an important opportunity for Indian shooters to secure Olympic quota places for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. A total of 36 quota places are available across the 12 individual Olympic shooting events.

India's Results on November 9

• Esha Singh: 292, third in the overall 25m pistol precision standings.

• Manu Bhaker: 289, currently 15th.

• TS Divya: 289 in the precision stage.

• Vidarsa K Vinod: Ninth in women's 50m rifle 3 positions, missed final by one point.

• Anjum Moudgil: 584, eliminated.

• Ashi Chouksey: 50th, eliminated.

Monday produced contrasting outcomes for the Indian shooting contingent. Esha Singh's performance provided encouragement in the 25m pistol event, but the failure of all three rifle shooters to reach the final was a setback.

For Manu Bhaker, the rapid-fire stage will be particularly important after a modest precision performance. Esha will look to maintain her position near the top of the leaderboard, while Divya will aim to improve her overall standing.

India's campaign in Doha remains significant in the context of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. With several events still to come, the shooters will have further opportunities to challenge for qualification places and deliver strong performances on the world stage.