Live Blog | September 23 | India at Asian Games

Three of six qualification series are now complete, with both Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Singh shooting 97 in Series 3.

Manu has climbed back to fifth place, while Suruchi is 23rd. Esha Singh currently sits in 34th as the qualification reaches its halfway mark.

Manu Bhaker has bounced back strongly and is now fifth in the women’s 10m air pistol qualification after three series.

Suruchi Singh is also showing signs of a recovery, with a 97 in Series 3 taking her up to 24th. Esha Singh, currently 35th, still has her third series to complete.

South Korea’s Choo Gaeun currently sits at the top, with China’s Jiang Ranxin and Shen Yiyao occupying second and third respectively.

Aneesh Sunil clocked 1:51.20 to finish fourth in the men’s 200m freestyle heats, while Vedaant Madhavan was sixth in 1:52.01.

With more heats still to come, the final qualification picture is yet to be decided.

Jaswinder Singh and Nitin Kumar finished fourth and last in the men’s pair heats with a time of 6:36.90.

They were 16.01 seconds off the leading time, leaving them to compete in Final B, which does not offer a medal opportunity.

Megha Pradeep finished fifth in her women’s canoe single 200m heat, clocking 49.675 seconds.

She finished 2.733 seconds behind the heat winner, a result that takes her through to the semifinal, but not directly into Final A.

Manu Bhaker posted a 96 in her second series, keeping her qualification campaign alive but leaving plenty of ground to recover.

Suruchi Singh and Esha Singh have also been unable to make a significant move up the standings. Based on the current averages, Manu is 15th, Suruchi 36th and Esha 37th.

India still have rounds remaining, but the trio will need a substantial improvement to push themselves into contention.

Esha Singh ended her opening series with 94, leaving her with ground to make up as the qualification progresses.

Manu Bhaker, meanwhile, has begun to recover, dropping just one point in her first five shots of the second series.

At the top, Jiang Ranxin has moved into the lead after posting a 98, including a 49 so far in her latest series.

India’s quartet of Harshwardhan Shaktawat, Varinder Singh, L Naocha Singh Oinam and Arun Singh finished third in Heat 1 of the men’s K4 500m.

Their time of 1:29.447 was 5.594 seconds behind heat winners China, but the third-place finish was enough to secure India’s place in the final.

India’s women’s 10m air pistol trio have had an uneven opening to qualification.

Suruchi Singh has managed 94 in her first series, while Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh have also started with several 9s.

There is plenty of qualification still to come, but India will need to raise the level quickly as the competition intensifies.

The opening phase has not gone to plan for India. Malaysia’s Nurul Syasya Nadiah Binti Mohd Arifin, ranked 99th in the world and yet to win an ISSF World Cup medal, has surged to the top of the standings.

India’s trio are struggling to find their rhythm. Suruchi has already dropped six points in her opening series, while Manu Bhaker is five points down. Esha Singh is currently on 46 halfway through her first series.

There is plenty of qualification still to come, but India have work to do.

India’s women’s 10m air pistol shooters face a 59-athlete field featuring Olympians, former world champions and World Cup winners.

The qualification round includes several record holders. China’s Jiang Ranxin holds the qualification world record with 591, set in Cairo in 2022, while her 581 at Hangzhou 2023 remains the Asian Games record.

Kim Bomi holds the continental qualification record with 588, achieved in Daegu in 2022. Jiang also owns the Olympic qualification record of 587, set at Tokyo.

With such a strong field, India’s shooters face a significant challenge in the qualification round.

India’s shooting contingent begins a key qualification event in the women’s 10m air pistol, with Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Suruchi Singh in action.

With Manu and Esha bringing significant international experience and Suruchi representing the next generation, India will be looking to put multiple shooters into the final and mount a strong challenge in the team event.

India’s Satnam Singh and Khan Salman finished second in Heat 2 of the men’s double sculls with a time of 6:15.63.

They qualify for Final A, with China’s Yi Xudi and Nie Yide winning the heat in 6:13.36.

India’s Balraj Panwar finished third in Heat 2 of the men’s single sculls with a timing of 6:52.84.

He advances to Final A, with China’s Deng Zhiwei winning the heat in 6:45.22 and Hong Kong’s Chan Chi Fung finishing second in 6:52.53.

India face the Philippines in their men’s team regu Group B match.

After defeats to Japan and Malaysia over the past two days, India come into their final group fixture looking to finish on a positive note. With the results so far, a medal remains a difficult prospect.