HighLights
  1. Bhaker finished 11th in the qualification with a score of 579.
  2. India’s hopes in the team competition also took a major blow during the qualification stage.
  3. Esha’s 580, including 22 Xs, was enough to secure a place among the final eight shooters.

Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker’s Asian Games 2026 campaign ended without a medal after she failed to qualify for the final of the women’s 25m pistol event in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday.

Esha Singh, however, kept India’s individual medal hopes alive by securing a place in the final eight.

Bhaker finished 11th in the qualification with a score of 579 and missed out on a place in the medal round. Esha, meanwhile, produced a score of 580 with 22 inner tens (X) to make the final.

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The result adds to a disappointing Asian Games campaign for Bhaker, who had also missed out on a medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event earlier in the Games. She finished fifth in that final after qualifying third.

Manu Bhaker Misses Another Medal Opportunity

Bhaker had entered the Asian Games as one of India’s leading shooting medal contenders after winning two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, she was unable to convert her opportunities into a podium finish in Aichi-Nagoya.

The 25m pistol event represented her final individual opportunity at the Games, but her score of 579 was not enough to take her into the final.

India’s hopes in the team competition also took a major blow during the qualification stage. The Indian trio of Bhaker, Esha and Rahi Sarnobat finished fifth in the team standings.

Sarnobat struggled during the rapid stage, recording just 39 in her fourth series of five shots. She eventually finished 30th individually with a score of 568.

It was a major setback for Manu Bhaker after his coach Jaspal Rana passed away recently. The shooter wanted to grab a medal as a tribute to her legendary coach.

Esha Singh Keeps India’s Medal Hopes Alive

While Bhaker’s campaign came to an end, Esha ensured India would still have a representative in the women’s 25m pistol final.

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Esha’s 580, including 22 Xs, was enough to secure a place among the final eight shooters. She will now compete for a medal in the final at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery.

Esha had earlier finished outside the medals in the 10m air pistol event, making her performance in the 25m event particularly important for India’s shooting contingent.

The women’s 25m pistol final will decide the individual medals, with Esha now carrying India’s remaining hopes in the event.


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