At the age of 17, Esha Singh won three gold and a bronze medal at the recently-concluded ISSF World shooting championships (rifle/ pistol) in Cairo and feels it was a big leap in her career and that she has surprised herself with the rich medal-haul. Now, the gifted shooter from Hyderabad, mentored by father Sachin Singh and former Olympic medallist Gagan Narang at his Gun For Glory Academy, is eyeing more medals in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Being my first World championship in the senior category, it has been a great experience as it is a tournament where maximum countries take part,” Esha told The Hindu on the sidelines of a felicitation function at the SATS shooting ranges here on Tuesday.
“I was confident of clinching the gold given the kind of training programme I undertook and also the fact that the Chinese shooters were not be participating. The first objective was to give my best, .and I am glad I did,” Esha, who will be focusing on 10m and 25m events, said.
Esha, who won three gold and a bronze medal in the recent ISSF World championship in Cairo, with mother Srilatha on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: V.V.SUBRAHMANYAM
“These medals will add to the list of my achievements, and it is one of my best ever performance for sure. There was no special build-up for the Worlds. And, it is not like there is any secret in my training programme either. I love to keep learning, especially from the contests which I lose. You should always go back and work on some issues to ensure mistakes are not repeated.” Sachin Singh said Esha’s pistol malfunctioned during the 25m air pistol final, but she showed a lot of guts and determination and continued to compete without making it an issue.
“What impressed me the most is her level of confidence. She was always focused and this will help her in the future as we chase the ultimate goal of an Olympic medal,” Sachin said.
