Esha Singh ended India’s medal drought at the ISSF World Cup, clinching gold in the women’s 10m air pistol here on Saturday. At the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre, the 20-year-old edged out home favourite Yao Qianxun by 0.1 point in a tense final. This was her maiden World Cup gold in the event and it helped India move to fifth spot in the medal standings, joining four other nations with a gold medal. “I am very happy to win a world cup gold and tick off some of my goals,” said an ecstatic Singh.

In the eight-shooter final, compatriot Rhythm Sangwan began strongly, leading after the first series with Singh in second. By the halfway mark, Singh moved into the lead while Rhythm slipped to fifth, where she eventually finished. Singh, meanwhile, maintained her rhythm, producing two 10.7s at crucial stages to stave off Yao’s late surge. She sealed the gold with a final score of 242.6.