India made a brilliant start to the ISSF Shooting World Cup 2026 in Hangzhou, with Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker securing a double podium finish in the Women’s 25m Pistol event. Esha Singh clinched the gold medal, while Manu Bhaker settled for the bronze medal, helping India open its medal account at the tournament in style.
Whenever Manu Bhaker competes, Indian fans expect her to finish on the podium. After her historic success at the Paris Olympics, she took a long break from competition before returning to the circuit. While she is consistently winning medals again, she is yet to rediscover the dominant form that saw her regularly win gold. A bronze medal is still a strong result, but everyone knows Manu is capable of much more. With the Asian Games approaching, Indian fans will be hoping to see her return to the top of the podium and add more gold medals to her remarkable career.
The bigger talking point, however, is Esha Singh. Over the last one to two years, she has developed into one of India’s most consistent shooters on the international stage. She has been winning medals regularly and continues to improve with every tournament. Earlier this year, she even set a world record by scoring 43/50 to win gold in the Women’s 25m Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, proving that she has the talent to compete with the very best in the world.
Looking ahead, the Asian Games will be Esha’s biggest target, and she will certainly be one of India’s strongest gold medal contenders. If she continues this form, there’s every reason to believe she can also become a serious medal contender at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Indian shooting has produced many champions over the years, and Esha Singh looks ready to carry that legacy forward.
This is just the beginning of the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Hangzhou, and Indian fans will be hoping that the country’s shooters continue this momentum and add many more medals in the coming days.