Multiple Asian Games medallist Esha Singh spearheaded India’s charge to the women’s 25m pistol team gold while also qualifying for the individual final alongside double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker at the ISSF World Championships here on Tuesday.

Esha, one of India’s leading pistol shooters, topped the trio in the two-day qualification round with a score of 590. Her effort, combined with Manu’s 587 and Divya Subbaraju’s 584, gave India an aggregate of 1761 to clinch the team gold.

South Korea took the silver medal with an aggregate of 1748, while Vietnam claimed bronze with a total of 1745.

The 21-year-old Esha also kept herself firmly in contention for an individual medal and a 2028 Los Angeles Olympic quota place, finishing third in the qualification standings to make the eight-shooter final.

Germany’s Doreen Vennekamp topped the field with 592, equalling the Olympic record, while Hungary’s veteran shooter Veronika Major finished second with 591.

Manu, who had struggled to find her rhythm in the run-up to the World Championships, also made the cut, finishing sixth with 587. Divya narrowly missed out, ending the qualification in 10th place.

Esha produced a strong comeback in the Rapid round on Tuesday after managing 292 in Monday’s Precision round. She shot three impressive series of 100, 98 and 100 to finish with a Rapid-round score of 298 and an overall tally of 590.

Manu, too, recovered from a modest 289 in the Precision round, putting together series of 99, 99 and 100 in the Rapid round to secure her place in the final.

India now have a chance to add to their tally of Olympic quota places, with both Esha and Manu in the hunt.

The three medallists in the individual event will earn quota places for their respective countries, meaning India could secure two if both shooters finish on the podium.

Jaypal Malviya has already opened India’s account in the Olympic qualification race, winning silver in the men’s 10m air pistol to become the country’s first shooter to secure a Los Angeles Games quota at the championships.

The team gold and the two finalists offer a welcome boost to India’s campaign, which has otherwise been marked by inconsistent performances, particularly in rifle events, besides the controversy surrounding the disqualification of rifle shooter Sambhavi Kshirsagar.