An Asian Games model for Esha’s first Olympics: With only a few days left before the Olympics in Paris, Esha Singh is unsure about her feelings. The 19-year-old pistol shooter is undoubtedly thrilled to be competing in her first Olympics, but she admitted that she wasn’t sure if she would also be nervous.
It resembles her mental state going into the Asian Games, which was the teenager’s first exposure to a multi-sport event feast, somewhat. However, the significance and enormity of the event really dawned on her when she arrived at the Athletes’ Village in Hangzhou. Ahead of her events, she experienced some intimidation and found it “hard to keep my head in the game.”
Four medals around her neck, that was how she would check out of Hangzhou. Esha placed second in the individual 25-meter pistol and 10-meter air pistol events, first in the 25-meter pistol team event, and second in the 10-meter air pistol team event.
Her performance in the 25-meter pistol final, which she will compete in at the Olympics in Paris after trading in her 10-meter air pistol ticket with Rhythm Sangwan, was especially impressive. With 34 points overall, Esha came in four points behind Liu Rui of China, who broke Rahi Sarnobat’s Asian Games record as Esha matched it.
“I think the Asian Games was the largest platform I’ve ever played on. It’s one of my best final performances and the highest scoring performance I’ve ever produced in my career. That was, to be really honest, the loudest crowd I have ever seen. Overall, it was a rather scary experience to be there. However, I conquered all those feelings. With that match, I astonished even myself,” Esha remarked.
Knowing my strengths and my mental toughness was a tremendous confidence boost for me. I was really convinced after the final that everything else would be much simpler if I could perform well here.
Not that it would happen at the Olympics, but at least Esha now has a model to refer to in addition to happy memories and lessons learned. Given her age and familiarity in high-stakes competitions, she had gone into the Asian Games believing it wouldn’t be a huge problem if she didn’t win a medal.
“It would be fantastic if I could maintain the same mindset during the Olympics,” she remarked.
“I don’t adjust my training for different kinds of events. Shooting is a fundamentally simple game, therefore trying to make it more complicated will never benefit you. To be sure, it hasn’t aided me. I prefer things to remain unchanged. I have thus been preparing for this (the Olympics) for the past ten years.
Even though Esha is only 19, she has already had a long and exciting career. In 2018, the 13-year-old girl from Hyderabad defeated seasoned 10m air pistol shooters Heena Sidhu and Manu Bhaker to become the senior national champion. Esha feels that the sport has altered her personality when she thinks back to those early adolescent years.
“Good way,” she remarked. “I’ve become a more collected and peaceful person, and I’m learning to accept my mistakes and comprehend the reasons behind them, even from the past. Looking back, I see a lot of connections. I wouldn’t know how to fix it at the next crucial moment if they hadn’t occurred for certain reasons and were supposed to happen.
There have also been quite a few calm days for Esha in between the 2018 nationals explosion and the 2023 Asian Games surge. She was able to make connections between the stages of lull and competitions while also developing the maturity to persevere through them. However, Esha has found it difficult to cope with the highs. It’s the peaks.
“Because they never stop enhancing your image. It everything comes down to your reputation after a significant victory, isn’t that right? For instance, you kind of have baggage to carry if you win a medal at the World Cup and then play in a domestic tournament. Sincerely, it’s challenging to handle,” she remarked. “However, I see everything as experiences that I can add to my bucket.”
