Manu Bhaker Finishes Fifth as India Misses Another LA 2028 Quota at ISSF World Championships

India's wait for an Olympic quota in shooting continues in Doha after Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Singh finish fifth and sixth in the women's 10m air pistol final. Three quota places were available, but neither Indian could secure a podium finish.

India's disappointing campaign at the ISSF World Championships 2026 in Doha continued as Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Singh missed out on both a medal and an Olympic quota in the women's 10m air pistol event. Despite qualifying for the final, the two Indian shooters were unable to convert their opportunities into a podium finish, with Bhaker ending fifth and Suruchi sixth.

For Bhaker, the result was particularly frustrating. The two-time Olympic medallist finished with 179.9 points, just one position outside the quota-winning places. Suruchi, meanwhile, registered 158.3 points to finish sixth in the final.

With three LA 2028 Olympic quota places available in the event, India had a significant opportunity to open its account in the women's 10m air pistol. However, the Indian contingent once again came away empty-handed, extending the country's wait for its first Olympic quota at the championship.

China, Hungary and Iran secured the three available quota places.

Bhaker entered the final after producing a strong performance in qualification, where she scored 583 points to finish third. China's Ranxin Jiang topped the qualification standings with 585, followed by Singapore's Xiu Yi Teh on 584. Bhaker's 583 placed her among the leading contenders heading into the final and raised expectations of an Indian podium challenge.

The remaining qualification places were taken by Hungary's Veronika Major (582), China's Qianxun Yao (582), Hong Kong's Ho Ching Shing (582), Iran's Haniyeh Rostamiyan (581) and Suruchi Singh (580).

Suruchi's qualification score was enough to secure the eighth and final place in the medal round, giving India two representatives in the final. However, the final proved a much tougher examination.

Bhaker finished with 179.9 points to take fifth place, while Suruchi ended sixth with 158.3. Neither shooter managed to sustain the consistency required to challenge for the three quota-winning positions. The result was especially disappointing given Bhaker's qualification performance. Having entered the final third in the standings, she had a genuine opportunity to compete for an Olympic quota, but could not translate that advantage into a top-three finish.

The women's 10m air pistol final once again highlighted the narrow margins that separate success and disappointment at the highest level of shooting. In a competition where every shot carries considerable weight, inconsistent scoring can quickly undermine a shooter's position. Both Indian competitors had periods in which they struggled to maintain the high scoring standards required to remain in contention.

The presence of several low scores, including shots below the 9.5 mark, proved costly in a field where competitors were fighting for medals and Olympic qualification. For Bhaker, finishing fifth meant missing the quota by just one position. The fourth-place finisher moved ahead of her, while the three quota places went to shooters representing China, Hungary and Iran.

It was another difficult outcome for Indian shooting, particularly after the country's competitors had already missed opportunities in other events at the Doha championship.

India's Olympic quota wait continues

The result adds to India's growing disappointment at the 2026 ISSF World Championships. The Indian shooting contingent entered the competition with hopes of securing early qualification places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. However, the team has struggled to convert its qualification performances into medals and Olympic quotas.

The women's 10m air pistol offered another opportunity, with two Indian shooters reaching the final. Yet, the final standings left India without a quota in the event. For Bhaker, who has already established herself as one of India's leading international shooters through her Olympic performances, the fifth-place finish will be a difficult result to process. Her qualification performance demonstrated that she could compete with the best in the field, but the final demanded greater consistency at critical moments.

Suruchi's qualification for the final was also a positive aspect, although she was unable to challenge for the leading positions.

The Doha championship is proving to be a challenging test for India's shooting contingent. Repeated qualification-to-final transitions have not yet produced the results required, with crucial moments continuing to separate the Indian shooters from the medal positions.

The women's 10m air pistol final was another example of how small scoring lapses can have significant consequences at world championship level. With China, Hungary and Iran taking the available quota places, India will have to look towards subsequent qualification opportunities to secure representation in the event at LA 2028.

For now, the immediate takeaway from Doha is disappointing: two Indian shooters reached the final, but neither returned with a medal or an Olympic quota. The gap between qualification-level performance and delivering under final-round pressure remains an issue that Indian shooting will need to address.