Esha Singh Turns a Difficult Week Into an Asian Games Silver Medal

For Indian shooter Esha Singh, the road to an Asian Games silver medal was filled with pressure, exhaustion and several moments when the competition could have ended for her.

The 21-year-old from Hyderabad eventually fought her way through one of the most dramatic finals of the Games, winning silver in the women’s 25-metre pistol event in Nagoya, Japan.

A Difficult Start to the Games

Esha had entered the 2026 Asian Games with four medals from the previous edition in Hangzhou. But her campaign in Nagoya began with disappointment.

In the women’s 10-metre air pistol event, she finished 15th and failed to reach the final. The result left her under significant pressure before her second individual event.

She later said that she struggled to sleep and carried the disappointment into the following days.

Her Mother Gave Her a Different Kind of Advice

The night before the 25-metre pistol final, Esha spoke with her mother. Instead of offering sympathy, her mother told her to stop worrying so much and simply enjoy the opportunity.

Esha later said that she needed that conversation because she had been putting too much pressure on herself.

Her coach Ronak Pandit also tried to change the atmosphere before the competition. The two joked about their different generations, helping Esha relax before one of the most demanding finals of her career.

Five Shoot-Offs and a Fight for Silver

Esha entered the final after qualifying in eighth place, leaving little room for error.

During the competition, she repeatedly found herself close to elimination. At one stage, she was outside the medal positions, but a perfect five-hit series kept her alive.

She then became involved in several shoot-offs against North Korea’s Kim Hyon Suk. After multiple tie-breakers, Esha eventually prevailed to secure at least a silver medal.

The battle for gold was equally dramatic. Esha and China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan finished the regular final level at 38 hits. Their first shoot-off also ended level, forcing another tie-breaker.

Xiao eventually won the final series 3-2, leaving Esha with the silver medal.

Learning From Pressure

The result was more than another medal for Esha. She said the experience helped her understand that she could handle the pressure that had troubled her at the Paris Olympics.

She also said that she does not want to compete simply to satisfy outside expectations. For her, shooting remains a sport she chose because she enjoys it.

After a difficult beginning to the Asian Games, Esha left the range with a silver medal and a very different feeling about the pressure she had faced.

Sources

• The Indian Express — “Esha Singh’s wild road to Asian Games silver: Chaos, delays and four shoot-offs” — September 28, 2026
• The Indian Express — “Asian Games: Esha Singh strikes silver in 25m pistol after thrilling title contest” — September 28, 2026
• New Indian Express — “Banter with coach, mother’s push: How shooter Esha overcame ‘Olympic-level’ pressure to bag Asian Games silver” — September 28, 2026
• Rediff — “‘I Needed That Scolding’: How Esha’s Mother Helped Her Win Asian Games Silver” — September 28, 2026