How Pressure and Fatigue Shaped Ishita Singh’s Asian Games Finale

Ishita Singh’s journey to a silver medal in the women's 25 m pistol final was a lesson in managing extreme pressure and physical wear. After a modest eighth‑place qualification, the final turned into a grueling battle, with multiple shoot‑offs and a marathon duel for gold against China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan.

The Indian athlete described how the relentless stress made her hand tighten, causing fatigue that set in even during the first series of shots. To combat this, she repeatedly shook her shooting hand, a tactic that helped release the built‑up tension. The intermittent judge errors that halted the competition gave her a chance to relax her grip and regain composure.

Reflecting on the event, Ishita said the pressure felt "Olympic‑level" and that the experience taught her to stay calm under scrutiny. She believes the setbacks she endured have made her a stronger competitor, better equipped to handle the mental and physical demands of future international contests.