Manu Bhaker, India's double Olympic medallist shooter, fell agonisingly short of a podium finish at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, ending fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final on Wednesday, 23 September. The result leaves India without a medal in one of the discipline's marquee events, marking a sharp contrast to the country's three-medal haul in the 10m air pistol events at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

How the Final Unfolded

Bhaker had entered the eight-women final with promise, qualifying third with a score of 579 — which included 20 inner 10s. In the final, however, she managed only 181.1, unable to keep pace with the leaders. South Korea's Gaeun Choo claimed gold with an Asian record and Games record score of 246.3, while China's Yiyao Shen took silver with 241.3 and Ranxin Jiang secured bronze with 221.6.

India's Team Event Heartbreak

The individual disappointment was compounded by an agonising near-miss in the team event. India's trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Suruchi finished fourth in the team event with an aggregate score of 1719-44x, just two inner-10s behind bronze medallists Vietnam, who posted 1719-46x. China won gold with 1735-56x, and South Korea took silver with 1730-55x. The other Indian shooters did not advance to the medal round — Esha finished 15th with 572 and Suruchi placed 26th with 568.

Context: A Reverse From Hangzhou

Notably, Bhaker did not win an individual medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games either, and had been targeting a redemption run in Nagoya. At Hangzhou, she was part of the women's 25m pistol team that clinched gold alongside Rhythm Sangwan and Esha Singh. This is the second successive Asian Games where an individual 10m air pistol medal has eluded her at this level. This comes amid a decorated run on the global stage — Bhaker made history at the Paris Olympics 2024, becoming the first Indian to win two medals at a single edition of the Games.

What Comes Next for Bhaker

Bhaker will now shift her focus to the 25m pistol event, where she will compete alongside Esha Singh and Rahi Sarnobat, the 2018 Asian Games champion. The event will be another opportunity for redemption at these Games.

India's Shooting Campaign So Far

Despite the setback, India's shooting contingent has had notable successes at Asian Games 2026. Earlier, the women's skeet team of Razia Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won a bronze medal in the women's skeet team event with a total qualification score of 331. India's first shooting medal of the Games came via the women's 10m air rifle team — Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod claimed silver, with Elavenil also adding an individual silver in the same event. In the men's 10m air rifle team, Himanshu Dhillon and Rundrakksh Patil bagged silver, followed by a silver and bronze respectively in the individual event. The 25m pistol event now looms as a fresh opportunity for Bhaker to add to India's medal tally.