Bhubaneswar: In the bright lights of Cairo’s Olympic Shooting Range, Esha Singh etched her name into Indian shooting history by clinching the bronze medal in the women’s 25 m pistol event at the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025. This marks her first individual senior World Championship medal — and importantly, the first time an Indian woman has achieved this feat in the 25 m pistol category.
Singh finished the final with 30 hits, finishing behind competition from Korea’s Olympic champion Yang Jiin (gold, 40) and China’s Yao Qianxun (silver, 38).
Reflecting on her achievement, she told The Indian Express:
> “I am glad to win my first senior World Championship medal here at this range where I love to shoot.”
From Setback to Sight-Set
Just days earlier, Singh had narrowly missed out in the 10 m air pistol final, finishing sixth after a stray 8.4 on her 15th shot cost her the podium. But she did not let that linger. She shifted her focus with laser-like precision to the 25 m event, where the shooters must master both “precision” and “rapid” stages — a tougher mental and physical challenge than many realise.
Having won junior world titles at the same Cairo range in 2022, Singh admitted that familiarity gave her an edge:
> “Being so familiar with the range … the lighting … I know I’ve won here before. So that also adds another advantage in the bucket.”
It’s more than a medal. For India’s women in pistol shooting, Singh’s podium finish signals a breakthrough — proof that the world’s top stage is not out of reach.
2025 has been a strong year for her: she had already claimed medals at World Cup stages, so this adds the “World Championship” grade finish to her résumé.
The win also underscores the growing depth of Indian shooting across both men’s and women’s events, and across 10 m and 25 m disciplines.
Singh is already setting sights on the upcoming Asian Games and next season:
> “I want to bring glory to my country … whatever the outcome, I take it with gratitude … knowing He sees the hard work I put in every day.”
Her coach highlights that managing dual events (10 m air pistol and 25 m pistol) and maintaining consistency will be key going forward.
At just 13, Singh was already national champion in the 10 m air pistol event, showing early promise.
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