Team gold, then a miss in the individual final
India won the women's 25m pistol team gold at the ISSF World Championships in Doha on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, but the day ended with two disappointments in the individual final. Manu Bhaker finished fourth and Esha Singh eighth, and neither secured a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Times of India and Sportstar both report that three quota places were on offer in the event and that the three medallists took them.
How the team won
Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker and Divya Subbaraju totalled 1,761 points, ahead of South Korea (Yang Jiin, Oh Yejin and Nam Dajung) on 1,748 and Vietnam on 1,745, according to Times of India. Esha led the Indian trio with 590 points (292 in the Precision stage and 298 in Rapid). Manu added 587 (289 in Precision and 298 in Rapid) and Divya 584 (289 and 295). The margin over Korea was 13 points, comfortable in a sport where a single poor series can cost that many.
The individual final
In qualification, Esha finished third and Manu sixth, which put both in the eight-woman final. Sportstar says neither carried that form into the final. Esha was the first to go out, hitting 11 of a possible 20 in four series to finish eighth. Manu survived several shoot-offs and finished fourth with 27 hits, a place short of the podium. South Korea's Yang Jiin won gold with a world-record score of 44, Vietnam's Trinh Thu Vinh took silver with 43 and China's Zhang Yueyue bronze with 34. All three won Olympic quota places for their countries.
What this means for India's quota count
The championships offer 36 quota places for Los Angeles 2028. Sportstar says India has so far won just one, through Jaypal Malviya in the men's 10m air pistol, where he also took silver. The report calls the campaign underwhelming, especially in rifle events, and notes that India's high-performance programme, led by director Pierre Beauchamp, has attracted large investment, which makes the lack of quota places a sharper question. Times of India adds that seven of the eight finalists in this event were eligible to claim a quota.
The rest of India's medal list
India has still won several medals in Doha. According to Times of India, Niveditha Veloor Nair took bronze in the women's 25m standard pistol and Jaypal Malviya silver in the men's 10m air pistol. The men's 50m pistol team of Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary and Amanpreet Singh won gold, and Ravinder added an individual silver. The women's 10m air rifle team of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Shambhavi Kshirsagar won silver. These are team and individual medals, and they count in the championship table, but only the quota places count towards the Olympic team.
Why the individual final mattered
Quota places in shooting belong to the country, not the athlete, so a place won in Doha can be used by any Indian shooter selected for that event at the Games. That is why a fourth place for Manu, who has two Olympic bronze medals from Paris 2024, cost India more than a missed podium. Esha, a recent Asian Games individual silver medallist in this event, had come in with strong qualification scores.
What next
India's remaining events at Doha will decide how many more quota places it can still add, and the national federation will look at what changed between qualification and the finals. The reports we read do not say what further quota chances remain for India in this event. Kahaan Kya Hua will report any further medals or quota places from the championships.
