Shooting: Varun Tomar, Esha Singh seal Olympic quota places with 10m air pistol golds at Asian Qualifiers

Varun Tomar and Esha Singh won India’s 14th and 15th Paris 2024 Olympic quota places in style with victories.

In the men’s and women’s 10m air pistol respectively, on competition day one of the Asian Olympic Qualification Rifle/Pistol event at the Senayan Shooting range in Jakarta, Indonesia. In a display of dominance, Varun won by a margin of 2.6 and Esha by a whopping 6.8 to deliver virtuoso performances.

While Varun Tomar is a 20-year-old army marksman who got into the senior team only last year, Esha is still in her teens. It was a double podium in both the Olympic events for India as Arjun Cheema won silver in the men’s pistol while Rhythm Sangwan won bronze in the women’s competition, displaying India’s continental might in the sport.

Mongolian Davaakhuu Enkhtaivan won bronze in the men’s event to win the second available quota, while Pakistan’s Kishmala Talat’s silver-winning performance in the women’s, brought a historic first-ever women’s shooting Olympic quota for her country.

Each country could win only one of the two quota places on offer, so Arjun missed out. The Indian trio of Varun, Arjun and Ujjwal also won the men’s team gold, as did the women’s team of Esha, Rhythm and Surbhi as India topped the standings at the end of day one with four golds and a total of six medals.

VARUN ON SONG

Varun had a brilliant day of shooting overall. His score of 586 top the 55-field qualification, was by far his best in international competition and the best he has shot over the past 12 months or so. To do it when it mattered, speaks volumes of his preparedness.

“There are always nerves,” he said when asked about his start in the final where he had just five low to slim 10s for his first 12-shots, compared to seven mid-to-high ones for the last dozen.

“Last year was one of my first year in the senior team and after a good start, there was a bit of up and down as I felt I was gaining experience. It is evident that hard work in training pays off,” a confident Tomar added.

With Korean Lee Wonho and Pakistan’s Gulfam Joseph having already secured their quotas in earlier competitions, Varun and Arjun had to fight for one quota with four others, including Iranian Sajad Poorhosseini, Uzbek Mukhammad Kamalov and Kazakh Valeriy Rakhimzhan, besides Davaakhuu.

Tomar found it difficult to enter the 10-ring to begin with, however, Cheema held his own to shoot over 50 after the first five-shot series to take an early lead in the 24-shot final.

After the second series of five-shots, none of the shooters had crossed the 100-point mark with Pakistan’s Joseph in the lead ahead of Cheema and Tomar, who had risen up to joint third along with Rakhimzhan.

Lee was first to be eliminated after 12-shots with Cheema and Tomar making it an Indian 1-2 at the top for the first time in the final. Gulfam was next out as the Indians momentarily slid to third and fourth.

However, it was clear that Tomar had found his mark and was getting stronger from here on, with Cheema left to chase the Mongolian for second place.

A 10.6 for Tomar’s 20th shot, meant that India’s quota was confirmed as Poorhosseini bowed out in fourth. Davaakhuu had taken the other, but Cheema ensured that he won the chase for silver. He was 0.5 behind his teammate going into the final two single-shots, but could not hit the 10-ring as Tomar closed out in style, logging 239.6 to Cheema’s 237.3.

ESHA SUPREME

Esha was the lowest ranked of the three Indians to qualify, with a score of 578 giving her sixth spot. Both Rhythm and Surbhi shot 579 for third and fifth spots.

Rhythm was also the strongest to start the final with a 10.6, which Esha managed in her second. However, it was Kishmala Talat, the Asian Games bronze medalist from Pakistan, who started off the strongest of the eight shooters, logging a 52.4 for her first five shots. Rhythm was second, also managing above 50 while Esha at this stage was third and Surbhi fifth.

The second five-shot series saw three shots of 10.9 from different shooters, but the one on Esha’s sixth propelled her to the lead ahead of Talat.

A 10.8 for her 11th gave early indications of Esha threatening to pull away. Xiu Hong The of Singapore was first to leave after the 12th single shot and after the 18th shot, with Esha 4.3 ahead of her Korean challenger, India’s quota was confirmed as Yu bowed out in fifth.

With Surabhi already eliminated, India’s quest for a second consecutive double podium was confirmed as Rhythm outnerved Korean Kim Bomi after the 20th, to rise up to second. Kishmala had confirmed her quota. Esha eventually finished with 243.1, Talat with 236.3, while Rhythm settled for bronze at 214.5.

“I didn’t know I was that far ahead before you just told me,” said Esha, in the post-match interview when quizzed about her massive lead. “I did see some good shots going. think was just too process-oriented and kept my mind in my game more than that of others. I must have shot my best-ever final, I’ll have to check,” she quipped.

“I am just so thankful to my team here at NRAI and all the support we have been getting. The training has been so well planned and I am just so grateful,” she concluded.

Given the two Korean finalists Kim Bomi and Oh Ye Jin were ineligible for quotas, the Indians had to fight it out with Yu Ai Wen of Chinese Taipei and Teh Xiu Hong of Singapore, besides Talat for the one quota on offer to them.