India’s golden pistols!

Rhythm Sangwan (left), Esha Singh (centre) and Surbhi Rao after winning gold in the 10m air pistol team event in Jakarta yesterday

Young Indian shooters Varun Tomar and Esha Singh on Monday secured two Olympic quota places for the country with gold medals in the men's and women's 10m air Pistol events of the Asian Qualifiers here. The duo's qualification took the total number of Indian shooters bound for Paris to 15, equalling the highest-ever tally that was achieved in the Tokyo Games.

India can add more to the group headed for the Games in July-August this year when the remaining qualifiers are held. India secured six medals on Monday, including two team golds, at the continental event.

The 20-year-old Tomar shot 239.6 in the final to claim the top position, while Arjun Cheema won the silver medal with a score of 237.3. Mongolia's Davaakhuu Enkhtaivan (217.2) won the bronze medal. Earlier, Tomar (586), Cheema (579) and Ujjawal Malik (575) shot a total of 1740 to win the 10m air pistol team gold, while Iran and Korea claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Also Read: Giles Shield: Arham's 136 helps Oxford post 325 vs Dr Antonio da Silva

India pistol shooters Arjun Cheema (left) and Varun Tomar at the Senayan Shooting Range in Jakarta yesterday. Pics/PTI

Tomar, a former junior world champion, is the cousin of Tokyo Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary, who won a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games. Esha, 19, then grabbed the gold in the women's event with a score of 243.1. The silver went to Pakistan's Kishmala Talat (236.3), while the bronze was grabbed by Esha's compatriot Rhythm Sangwan (214.5). The 21-year-old Talat also earned a quota for the Paris Games, becoming the third Pakistani shooter to achieve the feat.

Esha, Rhythm and Surbhi Rao also won the team gold medal with a combined score of 1736. Esha is a world championship gold-medallist in the 10m air pistol mixed team and 25m pistol team events.

Training, discipline and time management key to Esha's success, says dad Sachin

"Systematic training" and "discipline" have been the key to Esha Singh's success, said proud father Sachin Singh after his daughter earned a 2024 Paris Olympic quota place for the country in women's 10m air pistol at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta on Monday. Sachin was there at the range in Jakarta when Esha, 19, bagged India's 15th Paris Olympic quota place.

"We were very confident that sooner or later she was going to earn a Paris Olympic quota. Her systematic training and discipline has ensured that. Since 2019, she has almost always been in the national squad that has left Indian shores, such has been her consistency," he said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever