New Gun, Renewed Confidence: Manu Bhaker comeback ,Wins 25m Pistol Silver at Asian Shooting Championships

India’s ace shooter and double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker staged a strong comeback at the Asian Shooting Championships, clinching the silver medal in the women’s 25m pistol event on Monday, just days after a disappointing outing in the 10m air pistol.

Five days after finishing seventh in the 10m air pistol final, Bhaker showed resilience and renewed confidence, powered by a new pistol setup, to fight her way onto the podium in a gripping final that went down to two shoot-offs against Vietnam’s Thuy Trang Nguyen.

Manu had earlier breezed through the qualification round, finishing near the top with an impressive score of 584, signalling her return to form. However, the final began on a cautious note for the Indian shooter, as Vietnam’s Nguyen and India’s Esha Singh initially set the pace and occupied the top positions.

As the eliminations progressed, Bhaker steadily found her rhythm. A dramatic turn came during the ninth elimination series, when Esha Singh faltered, missing five shots. The lapse allowed Manu to surge into the silver medal position, keeping her medal hopes firmly alive.

The contest for gold turned into a tense duel between Bhaker and Nguyen, with both shooters locked at 35 points at the end of regulation. The tie forced a shoot-off, which Nguyen edged narrowly. A second shoot-off followed after the deadlock persisted, but Bhaker missed three targets, eventually settling for silver in what was one of the closest finals of the event.

Despite missing out on gold, the silver medal marked a significant rebound for Bhaker and underlined her growing comfort with the new equipment. The performance also reinforced her status as one of India’s most dependable shooters on the continental stage.

Bhaker’s podium finish adds to India’s medal tally at the championships and provides a timely confidence boost ahead of upcoming international competitions, as she continues to fine-tune her form and equipment in pursuit of consistent excellence.