From Rising Star to World No. 1: Esha Singh’s Biggest Challenge Awaits in Japan for The 2026 Asian Games
Esha Singh has the form and has the experience. She has already reached the top of the rankings. For Esha Singh, Japan could therefore be about more than winning another medal. It could be the moment she proves that she can handle the pressure of being the favourite and still finish on top.
Xtratime Webdesk: A few years ago, she was just another promising teenager that Indian shooting fans kept an eye on. Now, as she lands in Japan for the 2026 Asian Games, 21-year-old Esha Singh is a completely different athlete. She arrives as the world No. 1 in the 25m pistol category and the world No. 2 in the 10m air pistol category which shows how rapidly she has developed on the international stage.
Her relentless form over the last 18 months backs up those rankings. Singh took home a bronze in 25m pistol at the 2025 World Championships, pocketing two World Cup titles, and then pulled off a spectacular masterclass at the Munich World Cup earlier this year. There, she shattered the world record with 43 hits in the 25m pistol final, while also walking away with a silver in the 10m air pistol.
She also has the distinct advantage of being somewhat experienced at this level. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, Singh was one of India's breakout stars, returning with a haul of four medals: one gold and three silvers. But back then, she was the underdog. This time, the spotlight will be squarely on her.
Knowing how heavy that spotlight can get, her coach, Ronak Pandit, has been hammering home a simple message: to focus on the trigger pull, not the podium. Pandit has spent months urging her to shut out the outside noise, ignore the target on her back, and simply recreate the rhythm that took her to the top of the world. For Singh, managing her own mind might actually be the hardest battle she faces in Japan.
And the competition will be fierce. She is stepping into a stacked field that includes Paris 2024 Olympic champion Oh Ye-jin, Chinese star Yao Qianxun, fellow Indian star Manu Bhaker, and the rapidly rising Suruchi Phogat.
Singh has the talent, the pedigree, and the big-stage experience. She has already proven that she can climb to the top of the world rankings. Now, it isn't about adding more silverware to her collection
