Esha Singh wins Asian Games pistol silver after five shoot-off rounds

Esha Singh turned the last qualifying place in the women’s 25m pistol final into an Asian Games silver medal on Monday, September 28, 2026. The Indian shooter survived a long contest for a place in the gold-medal duel at Aichi-Nagoya, then came within one hit of beating China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan.

Singh and Xiao finished the regular final level on 38 hits. Their first shoot-off did not separate them: each recorded four hits. In the next five-shot round, Xiao made three hits to Singh’s two, taking gold and leaving Singh with silver. Kim Hyon Suk of North Korea won bronze with 34 hits.

From eighth qualifier to early leader

Singh had entered the eight-woman final in eighth place after scoring 580 in qualification. It was a narrow route into the medal contest, but her opening suggested she would not remain at the back of the field. She hit all five targets in her first series and four in her second, leading with nine hits after 10 shots.

The lead changed hands as the final progressed. After 25 shots, Singh was tied on 20 hits with Xiao and Kim. Five shots later, Xiao had moved ahead on 25, Kim was on 24 and Singh had slipped to 23. With competitors being eliminated as the rounds continued, there was little room to recover from a weak series.

Singh nevertheless stayed in contention. When the field was down to four, she produced a perfect five-hit series at a crucial moment. It lifted her to 31 hits after 40 shots, one behind both Xiao and Kim, and ensured she would leave with a medal. Vietnam’s Trinh Thu Vinh finished fourth on 30.

Three rounds to decide silver, two more for gold

The fight to advance beyond bronze brought the final’s first prolonged shoot-off. Singh and Kim were level on 34 hits after Kim’s last regular series. Both shooters made three hits in the first tie-break round, then three again in the second. Singh finally broke the deadlock in the third, winning it 3–2. Kim’s bronze was settled; Singh was guaranteed silver and still had a chance at the title.

Xiao had been waiting while that contest unfolded. When Singh rejoined her for the last regular series, the Chinese shooter held a one-hit advantage. Singh erased it, bringing both women to 38 hits after 50 shots and forcing a shoot-off for gold.

They remained level after making four hits apiece in the first extra round. The second decided it by the smallest margin of the closing contest: Xiao hit three targets, Singh two. In all, Singh had taken part in five shoot-off rounds—three against Kim and two against Xiao—before the medal order was settled.

A lift for India after a team near-miss

The individual silver gave India its first medal in a singles pistol event at these Games. It also changed the mood of a difficult day for its women’s 25m pistol squad. Earlier, India had finished fifth in the team standings with 1,727 points, outside the medals. Singh was the only Indian to reach the individual final; Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat did not qualify.

For Singh, the finish was a repeat of her individual 25m pistol silver at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. This one followed a different route: she arrived as the final’s lowest qualifier, briefly led, faced elimination pressure and then held her nerve through repeated tie-breaks. Gold escaped her by one hit in the last round, but her recovery secured a podium place for India when the team result had offered none.