In a nail‑biter at Aichi‑Nagoya, India slipped to fifth place in the women’s 25m pistol team after Rahi Sarnobat’s unexpected zero‑point miss rattled the trio.
The trio of Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Sarnobat posted 1727‑56x, just 7 points shy of bronze and 8 behind silver, while China topped the podium with 1743‑68x.
Sarnobat’s fourth series, a 39‑point haul that inexplicably included a zero, proved the fulcrum, turning a near‑medal run into a scramble. "This is the first time something like this has happened in my career," she said, eyes flicking to the scoreboard that now shows a blank.
Meanwhile, 21‑year‑old Esha Singh fought her way into the final, surviving five shoot‑offs before falling by a single point to China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan; the 580‑22x she recorded earned her an individual silver. "I was under pressure and this is the longest match of my career so far," she added after the final.
Sarnobat, a 2018 Asian Games gold medalist, admitted the miss was a mystery, and the team is now focusing on fine‑tuning consistency ahead of the 2027 World Championships.