Esha Singh bounces back from Paris setback with 25m pistol world record in Munich

HYDERABAD: Dejected and disappointed after failing to finish on the podium in Paris, Esha Singh bounced back in style with a world record at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup. The record score of 43 in the 25M air pistol final in Munich last week is the much-needed confidence-booster for Esha ahead of the Asian Games.

"The period after the Paris Olympics was tough. But I realised that that was the lowest point any athlete could go. I bounced back and refocused on my goals. Having competed in tough situations and many tournaments, I rea-lised that shooting is 90% mental game. So, I became strong mentally,” Esha said.

The 21-year-old city shooter said hours of rigorous training and executing what she practised in training during competition helped her succeed. She said she went to Germany well in advance to train and address an issue with her grip. “I have been struggling with my grip since November last year. I went to Germany well in advance to address it. I trained a lot for the tournament. This is one of the toughest tournament in the world and to come out with a gold is very satisfying and the world record score is just the icing on the cake. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Esha said on Thursday.

Esha also won a silver in the 10m air pistol event and said she enjoys her duel with double-Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker. “We have been in the team for almost eight years. I think she's an amazing competition for me. I think both of us motivate each other to play better. And I think every sports man should have somebody like that otherwise you don't have somebody to compete with. It's a very fun competition that we have. I'm grateful to have her by my side.”

With the Asian Games lined up next, Esha said the World Cup gold acted as a confidence booster. “Performances like these motivate us alot. This is one of the toughest tournaments and to win here gives me a lot of confidence. Of course, my next target is to win gold in the Asian Games. But I don’t focus on the name of the tournament. Whenever I step into the competition in any tournament, my aim is to give my 100% for the country,” she added.

Esha said the period after the Paris Olympics was challenging, but her experience of competing for over 10 years helped her balance success and failure. “I know I am still very young, but I have been shooting for close to 11 years now. So that experience has come in handy for me.”