Asian Games 2023: India’s Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Rhythm Sangwan win gold in Women’s 25m Pistol team event
Siddharthan P
Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh also qualified for individual finals in Asian Games 2023.
India lived up to all the expectations in the women’s 25m Pistol team event to grab the gold medal in Asian Games 2023. Team India were favorites going into the event and they displayed some scintillating shooting in the event. Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker were at their best and they never let the momentum slip away. India will be hoping that these two carry on with the confidence and convert them to medals in the Individual finals as well.
On the first day of the event, shooters participating in the precision stage with three series for a total of 300 points. Esha Singh scored 292 to top after the first phase while Rhythm Sangwan finished sixth with 290. The best of India was yet to come as the 21-year-old Manu Bhaker brought back her 2018 Asian Games form to finish first with 294 points.
Going into the second day, the Chinese were expected to challenge the Indians for the top spot and the shooting range witnessed some thrilling action. Under pressure, Esha rose up to the occasion and shot seven straight 10s to make it 70/70. While the other Indian, Rhythm, scored 68 from the opening seven strokes of the rapid series shooting.
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Both shooters bettered their scoring from the previous round as Esha and Rythym ended with 294 and 293 points respectively. India were leading China by just two points and it was a meagre lead and it was anybody’s gold to take. It was a straight face-off between India’s Manu Bhaker and China’s Sixuan Feng. The Indian started brilliantly in her first rapid series with a flawless 99/100.
Sixuan wasn’t giving up easily as fell short of Bhaker’s tally by one point. But the World Champion was unstoppable as she shot a 99 and a 98 to reign supreme in the qualification and ensured Team India took the gold. Sixuan and China had to settle for the silver but these two will be competing hard in the Individual finals as well.
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