Asian Games: Interruptions were 'blessing in disguise', says Esha Singh
Synopsis
Indian shooter Esha Singh says interruptions during her women's 25m pistol final at the 2026 Asian Games were a blessing, helping ease fatigue. She won a silver medal after a thrilling shoot-off and plans to celebrate with her coach.
'Breaks were a blessing in disguise'
Indian shooter Esha Singh described the interruptions during her thrilling women's 25m pistol final at the 2026 Asian Games as a blessing in disguise, saying the breaks helped ease the unexpected fatigue and tightness in her hand as she battled her way to the silver medal. Speaking to ANI after the event on Monday, Esha described her women's 25m pistol final at the 2026 Asian Games as a memorable experience, saying she plans to celebrate the achievement with a lavish meal with her coach Raunak.
Esha said she and her coach are “big-time foodies” and would celebrate the medal over a good meal. "We're going to go for a really good meal—me and my coach, Raunak sir. We are big-time foodies, so we're going to go and have a lavish meal," Esha Singh told ANI.
Tense Battle for the Medal
The Indian shooter was involved in a tense battle for the medals throughout the final before eventually finishing second behind China's Xiao Jiaruixian. Esha, who finished with 38 points, was level with Xiao after the regular final. She first prevailed over North Korea's Kim Hyon Suk in the shoot-off for silver and bronze before facing Xiao in the gold-medal shoot-off. The gold-medal contest also remained tied after the first shoot-off, forcing another five-shot contest. Xiao eventually prevailed after hitting three targets compared to Esha's two, leaving the Indian with the silver medal.
Reflecting on the dramatic final, Esha said she had not expected the competition to unfold in such a manner but was grateful for the experience. "I gave quite a show to the audience. Thank you. But I think, of course, I was not expecting it to go like this. I had to really strive and linger for the medal, but I think this was meant to be memorable, and that is why it went like that. But I'm really grateful for the experience. Looking back, I think I had fun," the Indian shooter added.
'It actually helped me'
The final was also interrupted twice, with technical issues causing breaks in the shoot-off proceedings. Asked whether the interruptions distracted her, Esha said the breaks actually helped her deal with physical fatigue during the competition. "In my case, it was very helpful, because my hand was getting unexpectedly tired and very tight towards the match. I think if it wasn't for those breaks and those errors that happened, maybe it looked like breaking my zone, but it actually helped me. So, maybe call it God's grace that it was meant to happen," Esha said. (ANI)