Esha Singh’s wild road to Asian Games silver: Chaos, delays and four shoot-offs

Esha Singh had a fortunate encounter with chaos during the Asian Games women's 25m pistol final. As the competition became a series of shoot-offs, officials' mistakes halted the contest, leaving China's Xiao Jiaruixuan waiting for nearly 15 minutes. Esha's shooting hand was tightening, and the long interruptions allowed her to relax and reset. She attributed her ability to stay in the competition to the errors and mistakes made by the judges.

The 21-year-old from Hyderabad battled back from elimination, surviving four shoot-offs against North Korea's Kim Hyon Suk. Despite tying 38 hits in the regulation final and 4-4 in the first shoot-off, Xiao ultimately won the decisive series 3-2, leaving Esha with silver.

Esha described the final as an amazing experience, noting that the interruptions gave her time to think and relax. She had to overcome the strain of pressure, which caused her hand to become tight and tired. The shoot-offs provided her the opportunity to release and relax her hand, helping her maintain focus.

The silver medal was a measure of redemption for Esha after a disappointing performance in the women's 10m air pistol earlier in the Games. She had previously won two World Cup titles and a bronze at the World Championships over the past 18 months. Esha's silver medal increased India's shooting tally and marked her second consecutive individual silver in the 25m pistol at the Asian Games.