Toyota, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian shooter Esha Singh said the interruptions during the women’s 25m pistol final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya ultimately helped her manage fatigue and pressure as she battled through multiple shoot-offs to win the silver medal on Monday.
The 21-year-old, who qualified eighth for the final, endured a tense medal round that saw her repeatedly fight to stay in contention before reaching the gold-medal shoot-off against China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan. Xiao eventually prevailed, leaving Esha with silver.
Reflecting on the unusual final, Esha said the experience was unlike anything she had previously encountered.
“It was amazing and I’ve never had an experience like this before. Definitely going into my bucket of amazing experiences. And I’m grateful for every moment. And though it was nerve-wracking, it was amazing,” she said.
Esha acknowledged that she came close to elimination several times and that the prolonged contest eventually took a physical toll.
“My hand did end up getting a little tired because nobody who went up to the gold shot as much as I did,” she said, adding that she intends to work on the issue so it does not recur.
She said the pressure caused her shooting hand to become tight and tired without her initially realising it. The stoppages, however, gave her opportunities to relax and regain focus.
“I was kind of grateful for the errors and mistakes the judges were making because I got some rest,” Esha said. She described the breaks as “God’s grace” that gave her time to recover and think.
The silver medal also helped Esha revisit the pressure she experienced at the Olympics. She said the difficult moments in Aichi-Nagoya reminded her of losing control of her duelling during her Olympic experience, but added that she now felt stronger and better equipped to handle such situations.
“I think the last season made me realise that I am strong enough to handle this,” she said.
Esha also said she could hear her father reacting to the interruptions from the stands. While acknowledging his frustration, she said she would reflect on the officials’ decisions later and suggested that some of the errors could have been electronic in nature.
FOLLOW NOW
