Indian shooting witnessed another historic moment as 21-year-old Esha Singh delivered a world record-breaking performance to win gold in the women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup 2026 in Munich on Wednesday. Competing against some of the biggest names in international shooting, the young Indian star showcased extraordinary composure and consistency to script one of the finest performances of her career.
Held at Munich’s iconic Olympic Shooting Range, the event featured a highly competitive field including reigning Olympic champion Yang Ji-in of South Korea and Germany’s former world champion Doreen Vennekamp. Despite the pressure of competing against elite shooters on one of the sport’s grandest stages, Esha rose to the occasion with remarkable confidence.
The Hyderabad-born shooter finished the final with a sensational score of 43 out of 50, creating both a senior and junior world record in the women’s 25m pistol event. Her score surpassed the previous senior world record of 42 held by Korea’s Kim Ye-ji and also eclipsed the junior world record of 41 set by Olympic champion Yang Ji-in. Esha dominated the final from the very beginning.
She opened the medal round strongly with multiple perfect series and maintained her lead throughout the elimination stages. According to ISSF reports, she extended the gap steadily as the competition progressed and never allowed her rivals a chance to recover.
Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp claimed the silver medal with 38 hits, while Bulgaria’s Miroslava Mincheva secured bronze after scoring 31. Olympic champion Yang Ji-in, who had topped the qualification round earlier with a score of 592-28x, eventually finished fifth after struggling during the elimination phase.
Esha had entered the final after placing fifth in qualification with an aggregate score of 587-19x. She shot 293 in precision and 294 in rapid fire to secure her place among the top eight finalists. Her calmness under pressure during the final became the defining feature of her gold medal-winning performance.
Speaking after her victory, Esha reflected on the significance of winning in Munich. “The Munich World Cup is a very prestigious event, and the scores go high here, so even qualifying for the finals is a big achievement. I badly wanted to win a medal here. I didn’t think of creating a new world record, but I am happy I did as a record with gold at this range would mean a lot,” Esha told the media.
The young shooter also admitted that nerves played a role during the competition despite her dominant performance. “I wasn’t calm at all. At one time when trying to hear the command I could almost feel my left hand shaking. I had a lot of nerves but in our sport you can’t escape that. You have to face it and embrace it and that is what experience is all about,” she said after the event.
This gold medal marked India’s first individual medal of the ISSF World Cup season across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines. More importantly, the victory secured Esha a direct qualification berth for the ISSF World Cup Final scheduled to be held in Rome later this year.
Esha Singh has steadily emerged as one of India’s brightest shooting talents over the past few years. A multiple ISSF medallist at junior and senior levels, she has already won medals at the Asian Games and World Championships. Her latest achievement in Munich further strengthens India’s growing reputation in international shooting and highlights the country’s promising future ahead of major events like the Asian Games and the World Championships later this season.
Meanwhile, fellow Indian shooter Manu Bhaker narrowly missed qualification for the final after finishing 12th with a score of 582-19x. Former Commonwealth Games champion Rahi Sarnobat ended 14th with 581-23x. Indian shooters Arshdeep Kaur and Tejaswani, competing under ranking points only status, finished 44th and 51st respectively.
Esha’s historic triumph in Munich now stands as one of the most memorable performances by an Indian shooter on the world stage, announcing her arrival among the sport’s elite with a record-breaking statement.
