At the ongoing ISSF World Championship in Qatar, the Indian shooting contingent has once again demonstrated exceptional talent, with several top athletes delivering outstanding performances across various categories. In a remarkable team feat, India's most prominent shooting stars, Manu Bhaker and Eisha Singh, clinched the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol team event, bringing immense pride and glory to the nation on the global stage. However, despite this glorious and historic team success, both star athletes faced a significant setback that holds immense importance for their individual careers and long-term Olympic aspirations.
According to reports from the championship, even after securing the team gold medal, Manu Bhaker and Eisha Singh completely missed out on securing quotas for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in their respective individual events. This unexpected turn of events came as a major blow and a slight disappointment for both players and millions of sports fans across the country. During the individual final, Manu Bhaker came remarkably close to the podium but eventually had to settle for a fourth-place finish after a hard-fought battle, narrowly missing out on a medal and the coveted Olympic quota, while meanwhile, her compatriot and fellow experienced shooter Eisha Singh finished in the eighth position in the individual final.
Reports indicate that there were three Olympic quota places available during this specific event, and seven out of the eight finalists were fully eligible to secure these quotas, while despite these favorable conditions, both Indian shooters failed to capitalize on the opportunities and missed out on claiming the Olympic quotas for themselves. Shifting the focus to the team event, the performance of the Indian squad was nothing short of spectacular and historic. The trio consisting of Manu Bhaker, Eisha Singh, and Divya Subbaraju secured the gold medal on Tuesday in the women's 25m pistol event with a commanding and unbeatable total score of 1761 points.
Driven by this brilliant team display, the Indian trio outshone strong competing teams from South Korea and Vietnam to claim the top spot on the podium. According to the official results of the competition, the South Korean team secured the silver medal with a total score of 1748 points, while the Vietnamese team claimed the bronze medal with a total of 1745 points. Eisha Singh spearheaded India's gold-medal-winning campaign with the highest individual contribution in the team event, accumulating a massive 590 points. Her exceptional performance included 292 points in the precision round and a stellar 298 points in the rapid round.
In addition to Eisha Singh, India's star Olympian Manu Bhaker made a commendable contribution of 587 points to the team's total score, while their third teammate Divya Subbaraju also played a crucial role by contributing 584 points, successfully lifting India to the summit. However, when the competition transitioned to the individual event rounds, the circumstances took a different turn. During the individual qualification rounds, Eisha Singh had advanced to the final in third place and Manu Bhaker in sixth place, raising massive expectations among Indian fans for individual medals, while despite this strong start, they failed to convert the opportunity into individual medals or Olympic quotas.
Throughout this championship, the overall campaign of the Indian contingent has been deeply inspiring and medal-laden, with several other young athletes securing prestigious podium finishes for the country. Nivedita Veloor Nair delivered an impressive performance to claim the bronze medal in the women's 25m standard pistol event. On top of that, in the men's category, Jaipal Malwayal delivered precise shooting to secure the silver medal in the men's 10m air pistol event, further establishing India's prowess.
The extensive list of other medal winners also features the men's 50m pistol team, where the trio of Ravinder Singh, सौरभ चौधरी (Sourabh Choudhary / Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Amanpreet Singh) joined forces to win another prestigious gold medal for the country. On top of that, Ravinder Singh also showcased remarkable form in the individual event to claim a silver medal. In the women's category, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Shambhavi Kshirsagar combined brilliantly in the women's 10m air rifle team event to bag a silver medal. Thus, the journey of Indian shooters at the Qatar World Championship was filled with a mix of historic team triumphs and challenging individual hurdles regarding Olympic quotas.