Prodigy shooter Esha Singh back on golden path

After slipping in performance the following year in Bhopal, when she failed to make any of the finals in the three events of the National championship, Esha has been able to recover her golden touch.

Esha Singh signals triple medals in air pistol in the National championship.

Esha Singh was a pistol prodigy when she won the gold in air pistol in the women’s, junior and youth sections in the National championship in 2018, at a tender age of 13.

After slipping in performance the following year in Bhopal, when she failed to make any of the finals in the three events of the National championship, the 11th standard student of Reqelford International School in Hyderabad, has been able to recover her golden touch.

In the ongoing national championship in Delhi, Esha topped the qualification with 582, and went on to win the bronze in the women’s section apart from gold in both the junior and youth events.

Trained diligently by national high performance coach Ved Prakash Pilaniya and tuning herself for about eight hours every day at her home range, Esha has been able to gain a firm grip on air pistol.

It was evident earlier this season when Esha finished runner-up by 1.3 poinit to Manu Bhaker in the Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru.

"Esha is well guided by coach Ved Prakash with his vast experience and expertise. Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is supporting her. She changed a bit of her technique in 2019, and it took her time to adapt to it. Now she has been able to come back with a bang," said Esha’s father Sachin Singh, a motor sport rally driver, who has been shrewd in guiding her, especially in terms of the mental and psychological aspects.

"As parents, we need to allow time for the kids to settle in their sport. Just keep telling them to give their best, and encourage them all the time with a good atmosphere irrespective of bad or good scores," he reasoned.

Esha is understandably thrilled with her three medals in the national championship. They provide a solid platform for her aspirations to excel in the season ahead and march with confidence towards the Paris
Olympics.

As a junior, Esha has been winning international medals in the World Cups, Asian Championships. She is now ready to be a regular in the national women’s team and work her way to win the best of medals around the world.

Esha has utilised the time during the pandemic to emerge as a force in her sport, which should augur well for Indian shooting, as it looks to have a fresh start after failing to strike a medal in the last two Olympics in Rio and Tokyo.