Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Esha Singh Overcomes Chaos to Win Asian Games Silver
Esha Singh competed in a very difficult pistol final at the Asian Games.
She started strongly but later struggled to stay among the medal winners.
The contest stopped several times because of officials’ errors and technical problems.
These pauses gave Esha time to rest her tired hand and calm herself.
She also had to compete in several shoot-offs to stay in the event.
Esha eventually reached the gold-medal stage against China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan.
They were tied after the regular final and again in an earlier tie-breaker.
Xiao won the last series 3-2, so Esha received the silver medal.
Esha said the stressful experience made her feel stronger and better prepared for pressure.
India’s Esha Singh won silver in the women’s 25m pistol at the Asian Games on Monday.
She survived multiple shoot-offs and repeatedly fought to remain in medal contention after a strong start faded.
Officials’ errors and technical interruptions halted the final, giving Esha time to rest her tightening, fatigued shooting hand.
Esha and China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan finished level at 38 hits before Xiao won the decisive shoot-off 3-2.
The medal was Esha’s second successive individual Asian Games silver in the 25m pistol after India finished fifth in the team event.
- Who
- India’s Esha Singh, China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan and North Korea’s Kim Hyon Suk were central to the decisive stages.
- What
- Esha Singh won silver in the women’s 25m pistol after losing the final shoot-off to Xiao.
- When
- Monday, according to the reports.
- Where
- At the Asian Games shooting range in Aichi-Nagoya; reports were datelined Nagoya and Toyota.
- Why
- Esha stayed focused through repeated shoot-offs and interruptions, while the pauses helped her recover from fatigue and pressure.
Esha’s Perspective
Officials’ Perspective
Effect of interruptions
Esha’s Perspective
Esha said the stoppages and officials’ errors helped her by giving her time to relax, rest her shooting hand and think.
Officials’ Perspective
The interruptions disrupted the final, with Xiao reportedly waiting nearly 15 minutes before the gold-medal stage.
Assessment of officiating
Esha’s Perspective
Esha said she was grateful for the rest but acknowledged that such errors should not be made by judges.
Officials’ Perspective
The reports suggest the interruptions may have resulted from an electronic error, although the cause was not confirmed.
Meaning of the result
Esha’s Perspective
Esha viewed the final as a valuable experience that showed she could handle pressure resembling her difficult Olympic experience.
Officials’ Perspective
The final also exposed physical fatigue and periods when Esha struggled to control her shooting, areas she said she would work to improve.
- Medal
- Silver in the women’s 25m pistol
- Final score
- Esha and Xiao were tied at 38 hits in regulation; Xiao won the deciding series 3-2.
- Qualification
- Esha entered the final after qualifying eighth.
- Shoot-offs
- Reports differ in their count: one describes five overall, while another details four against Kim Hyon Suk and two gold-medal tie-breakers.
- Physical challenge
- Esha said pressure made her shooting hand tight and tired during the final.
- Earlier event
- She finished 15th in the women’s 10m air pistol with 572 points.
- Team event
- India finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol team event after Rahi Sarnobat’s shot was recorded as zero.
- Asian Games record
- The silver was Esha’s second successive individual Asian Games silver in the 25m pistol.
