Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday, 27 July 2026, congratulated Indian shooters Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker after the duo claimed gold and bronze respectively in the Women's 25-Metre Pistol event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup.

Posting on X, Chief Minister Dhami wrote — translated from Hindi — 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Esha Singh, who won the gold medal, and Manu Bhaker, who won the bronze medal, in the Women's 25-metre Pistol event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup with a brilliant performance. This historic achievement by both of you is a powerful testament to the growing global prestige of Indian shooting.'

He added that he was fully confident both athletes would continue to take India to new peaks of success through their talent, discipline, and dedication.

Context

Esha Singh is a young Indian pistol shooter who has competed at both junior and senior levels of the ISSF circuit. Manu Bhaker is one of India's most decorated pistol shooters, having accumulated multiple Olympic and World Cup medals across events over recent years. Their combined podium finish in the Women's 25-Metre Pistol discipline represents a notable double for India at the same event.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) organises an annual World Cup series that serves as a key qualification and ranking pathway for shooters targeting the Olympics. Results on this circuit carry significant weight in India's broader Olympic preparation strategy.

Policy Backdrop

India's rise in international shooting has been supported by the Khelo India programme, launched in 2017, which provides structured training pipelines and financial backing for young athletes across disciplines, including shooting. The programme has helped build a deeper talent pool that feeds into senior international competitions.

Indian shooters delivered multiple medals at the 2023 Asian Games, underlining a decade-long upward trajectory in the sport. Targeted coaching investments and expanded domestic academies, particularly in pistol events, have been central to this improvement since the 2016 Olympics cycle.

Stakeholders and Impact

For Esha Singh, a gold at this level of competition signals her arrival as a frontline senior competitor on the global circuit. For Manu Bhaker, the bronze adds to an already substantial international medal haul and reinforces her continued relevance at the elite level.

The performance also carries institutional significance for India's shooting federation and the broader sports ecosystem, demonstrating that investment in athlete pathways is producing consistent results across multiple competitors, not just individual standouts.

What's Next

Attention will now shift to upcoming stages of the ISSF World Cup series, where ranking points accumulated across events will influence India's qualification picture for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Both Singh and Bhaker will be expected to maintain their form as the Olympic cycle intensifies.

With Indian shooting recording steady gains across multiple events and generations of athletes, the sport's standing within India's overall Olympic medal strategy looks set to grow further heading into Los Angeles 2028.