Esha Singh in action. File.
| Photo Credit: S. Mahinsha
India’s junior women’s pistol team, comprising Olympian Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Shikha Narwal, won a gold medal in the 15th Asian Airgun Championship in Daegu, Korea, on Thursday.
It took India’s gold count to 23, with one day of the competition remaining.
The trio beat the host country’s Kim Minseo, Kim Juhee and Yang Jiin 16-12 in the title clash.
India settled for a silver in the women’s 10m air pistol team event after Rhythm Sangwan, Palak and Yuvika Tomar went down to Korea’s Kim Jangmi, Kim Bomi and Yoo Hyunyoung by a similar 12-16 margin in the gold medal match.
Manu, Esha and Shikha made the final after shooting through two rounds of qualification. In the first they topped the field with a score of 862 which equalled the Asian record in the event.
They remained on top in the second qualification round as well with a combined score of 576. Korea followed them into the gold medal match, coming second with a score of 572.
The final was hard fought, but the Indian trio were too good for the Koreans in the end.
In the senior event, Rhythm, Palak and Yuvika came fourth in qualification round one with a score of 854, before topping round two to make the gold medal match.
They shot 578 to Korea’s 576, who finished second. In the final however, the Koreans got the better of the Indians to claim gold. Singapore won bronze in the event.