In the women’s 10m Air Pistol final, Palak took home the gold medal, while Esha Singh came in second and took home the silver, extending India’s successful shooting streak at the Asian Games 2023.
The games record was broken by 18-year-old Palak on Friday as she raced to the gold medal with a score of 241.2. In contrast to the duo’s 17 medals in shooting for India in Hangzhou, Esha won her fourth medal.
After the Jakarta Asiad, Palak, who had just begun shooting, astounded everyone with her cool demeanor and surged to the top of the list during the final eight. On her way to a Games record total of 242.1 in the final, she never lost her position.
The Indian women’s 10m air pistol squad, comprised of Palak and Divya Thadigol Subbaraju as well as Esha Singh, who accomplished a great deal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. In the end, Esha scored 239.7, and despite being 2.6 points behind the victor, she was beaming as she took off her visor and watched her father Sachin dance in celebration from the stands.
After winning two team medals (silver in 10m air pistol, gold in 25m pistol) and an individual silver in 25m pistol, it was after all her fourth medal of the Asian Games. This is actually the most medals an Indian athlete has won at Hangzhou 2022.
Earlier, the squad that included the two and TS Divya won team silver after placing second overall with 1731 points, five points behind China. By placing just five points behind China, the trio helped India win the silver medal.
Despite the intense pressure of the final, Palak stunned the spectators by seizing the initiative and controlling the situation with remarkable composure. Esha was able to keep up with her but was unable to overtake her. As the competition heated up, Pakistan’s Kishmala Talat presented a formidable challenge.
Talat finally settled for bronze, Pakistan’s first shooting medal ever at an Asian Games. The Chinese athlete Qian Wiang kept the games record until 2018, when the Indian team continued competing and Palak smashed it to win the gold.
With eight gold, 11 silver, and 10 bronze medals, India currently has 30 total medals.