– by Pratyusha Mukherjee, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker’s inconsistent performance in the crucial stages of the 10m Air Pistol final saw her finish fifth, missing out on an individual medal. India also came agonisingly close to a team bronze, but despite matching Vietnam’s score of 1719, the Indian trio lost out on the inner-10 count. It was a disappointing outcome for India, with a narrow margin separating the team from the podium.
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women’s 10m Air Pistol individual final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, while India narrowly missed out on a team bronze after being edged out by Vietnam on the inner-10 count.
Bhaker, who qualified third for the individual final with a score of 579-20x, made a strong start in the eight-shooter medal round. She posted 50.8 in the opening series before taking her aggregate to 100.3 after the second series.
The competition then entered the elimination phase. Bhaker had 120.4 points after the first elimination stage and remained firmly in medal contention. Her aggregate climbed to 140.4 and then 160.7 before she eventually finished with 181.1 points.
Bhaker was eliminated after the fourth stage, with four shooters left competing for the medals, leaving her fifth overall.
Earlier, the two-time Paris Olympics bronze medallist had booked her place in the individual final by finishing third in qualification with 579 points, including 20 inner 10s.
In the women’s 10m Air Pistol team event, India finished fourth after recording the same overall score as Vietnam. Both teams finished with 1719 points, but Vietnam secured the bronze medal with 46 inner 10s, compared with India’s 44.
The Indian team of Bhaker, Esha Singh and Suruchi Inder Singh finished behind China, who won gold with 1735 points, and South Korea, who took silver with 1730.
Esha Singh finished 15th in the individual qualification with 572-12x, while Suruchi Inder Singh placed 26th with 568-12x and missed out on the individual final.
For Bhaker, Esha and Suruchi, however, the competition is far from over. Bhaker and Esha will return to action in the women’s 25m Pistol event, while Suruchi will compete in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
With more medal opportunities ahead, the Indian trio will look to build on Wednesday’s experience and make a strong push for the podium in their remaining events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
