In a gripping finale at the ISSF Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun World Cup in Lima, India’s Simranpreet Kaur Brar emerged as a standout performer in the women’s 25m pistol event, clinching a silver medal after a dramatic contest that saw three Indian shooters vie for the podium. While the more-fancied names, Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, missed out on medals, Brar showcased remarkable consistency and composure to win her maiden senior international medal.
The final was packed with tension and drama, especially as three Indians —Simranpreet, double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, and Asian Games champion Esha — had made it to the top eight. They were joined by three shooters from China, including the reigning champion Sun Yujie and Yao Qianxun, along with Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp and South American star Andrea Perez Pena.
Esha, who had secured a silver medal in the previous World Cup leg in Argentina, managed to squeeze into the final by taking the last qualifying spot with a score of 575. Manu was more dominant, securing second place in qualification with a score of 585, while Simranpreet shot a solid 580 to qualify fifth.
Once the final commenced at the Las Palmas shooting range, the Chinese shooters asserted early dominance, sweeping the top three spots after the opening series. The Indians took time to settle, with Simranpreet gaining momentum from the second round. Her performance was marked by steady improvement, culminating in a perfect score in the sixth round that elevated her into strong medal contention.
As the pressure built, the competition saw two dramatic shoot-offs. The first involved Esha, Manu, and Vennekamp, all tied at 17 hits. Esha was the first to bow out, finishing in sixth place. Manu had to face Vennekamp once again in another tie-breaker and this time prevailed, sending the German shooter out in fifth position.
With the competition narrowing down, Simranpreet, Manu, and China’s Yao Qianxun were in a tight race behind Sun Yujie. Simranpreet had amassed 23 hits by this point, sandwiched between Sun’s 25 and Yao’s 22. Unfortunately for Manu, a low-scoring series saw her miss out on a medal, finishing in fourth place after hitting only once in the bronze medal shoot-off. Yao claimed the bronze with a total of 26 hits.
The only Indian in contention by then, Simranpreet, kept her nerve in the decisive stages, finishing with 33 hits across the 10 five-shot series. This outstanding performance placed her just one hit behind gold medallist Sun Yujie, who defended her title with 34. Yao secured the bronze with 29 hits.
Notably, this silver medal marks Simranpreet’s first-ever podium finish at the senior international level, a significant milestone for the shooter who was placed 13th in the previous World Cup leg in Argentina.
Speaking to ISSF Media, Simranpreet said, “I am happy that I could execute what I had planned for. I kept focusing on my technique and it worked.” The 20-year-old mentioned that she didn’t focus much on her compatriots and the others in the range and kept her nerves steady.
“I didn’t know what was going on and I just focused on my game, and took one step at a time.” While the shoot-off between Manu and Vannekamp was on, Simranpreet was seen going through her diary.
Earlier in the day, the trio of Indian shooters had turned heads by all qualifying for the finals, reinforcing the depth of talent in the national team. While the final outcome saw only one Indian on the podium, the presence of three in a world-class final highlighted the growing stature of India in the global shooting arena.
India’s overall medal tally from the Lima leg of the ISSF World Cup now stands at four silver, two gold, and one bronze. They are in the third place, behind China and the USA.