In the qualification round of the women’s 10m air pistol event, 2022 Hangzhou silver‑medallist Esha Singh placed 15th while rising star Suruchi Phogat fell to 26th, scores far below the standards that have previously secured India podium finishes.
The Indian trio, which also included Manu Bhaker, amassed a combined 1,719 points with 44 inner‑10s, losing the team bronze to Vietnam by a margin of two inner‑10s; China claimed gold with 1,735 points.
Coach Ronak Pandit, who also serves as India’s High Performance Director, told The Hindu that the scores – “in the 560s‑570s” – were “unacceptable” and “insufficient to even dream of a medal,” emphasizing that pressure is part of competition and that the results reflected a lapse in performance rather than any external advantage.
Pandit said a detailed debrief would be conducted to identify the causes of the under‑performance and warned that the outcome should serve as a “reality check” for young shooters who may have become complacent after recent successes.
Despite the pistol disappointment, India’s skeet shooters secured medals later in the day, ensuring that the nation did not finish the session without any podium finishes.
The poor showing marks a stark contrast to the women’s 10m air pistol’s reputation as a reliable medal event for India in recent Asian Games, including a gold‑silver double at the previous edition.