India’s poor luck at the Asian Games continued on Monday; this time, the shooting contingent faced the brunt of a missed team event in the Women’s 25m pistol event in Nagoya on Monday.
After a disappointing pistol campaign that has seen only one medal – a mixed team gold in the 10m air pistol event – the morning looked primed for an upturn in fortunes.
Instead, what followed was a heavily contested moment that was a prelude to drama in a final that delivered its own twists and turns.
In her first series of the rapid event, Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat, a former Asian Games gold medallist in the women’s 25m pistol, missed her shot. Judges at the range concluded she hit the frame of her target and had gained no points.
Rahi appealed the ruling as it seemed highly unlikely she would miss the mark altogether at this stage of her career, and in an event of this calibre. But the ruling stayed unchanged, and she finished her rapid series with a score of 86.
That one missed shot eliminated India from winning a medal in the women’s 25m pistol mixed team event. Despite storming back with a series of 99 and 96, Rahi’s overall score was only 568, with 16 inner tens. It meant she and her teammate Manu Bhaker would return home without a medal from these Asian Games.
Esha Singh, on the other hand, qualified for the finals and was almost eliminated in fourth position before clawing back. She then mounted a charge for the gold medal but narrowly lost in the shootout to win a silver medal.
India’s pistol shooters have endured their share of setbacks at major events. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Bhaker suffered a gun malfunction that, despite efforts to fix it, contributed to a disappointing exit from her first Olympic Games. At the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Bhaker was affected by empty shells from the left of her range entering her line of sight, hurting her performance.
Rahi, meanwhile, was making a comeback after neurological pain had almost forced her out of the sport. The Olympian performed well in the trials to make the Asian Games team, and despite the contentious incident, India still looked well placed to challenge for a team medal.
But shooting, which had brought India a rich haul in Hangzhou, offered another twist in Nagoya.