What is a frame hit? How India lost women's 25m shooting medal in Asian Games

Asian Games: India finished fifth in the women's 25m pistol team event in yet another disappointing show. One of Rahi Sarnobat's shot was registered as 0 after she registered a frame-hit in the rapid series.

In Short

• India finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol team event with 1727 points
• Rahi Sarnobat’s frame hit cost India a medal in the women's team final
• Manu Bhaker will return from Asian Games without a medal

India's shooting campaign at the Asian Games suffered another setback on Monday, September 28, with the defending champions finishing fifth in the women's 25m pistol team event. Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Rahi Sarnobat finished with 1727 points, eight points behind silver medallists South Korea and seven behind bronze medallists Chinese Taipei, after China won gold with 1743.

India had been in contention for a medal before a disastrous rapid series from Sarnobat changed the complexion of the competition. Sarnobat registered a frame hit during the crucial stage of the competition, resulting in a score of zero for that shot.

India subsequently appealed the decision, believing the shot had not been properly registered by the scoring technology. The appeal, however, was rejected by the Asian Games authorities, who upheld the original decision.

WHAT IS A FRAME HIT?

A frame hit occurs when a shot hits the frame surrounding the scoring area rather than the target itself, resulting in no score.

Asian Games Live: September 28 Updates

In a high-pressure competition such as the Asian Games, a frame hit can prove particularly costly because every shot matters in a team event where the combined scores of three shooters determine the final standings.

In Sarnobat's case, India believed the zero could have been the result of a technical issue with the scoring system. The matter was reviewed, but the authorities concluded that Sarnobat had fired before properly settling on the target and upheld the frame-hit call.

One of the shooting coaches explained to India Today that such an error can happen under pressure, particularly when a shooter is unable to settle properly before taking the shot.

The zero came at a crucial point for India, who had been in the hunt for a podium finish. Sarnobat's rapid series eventually proved too costly for the defending champions to recover.

INDIA'S APPEAL FAILS

The Indian team did not simply accept the score. India appealed the frame-hit decision, arguing that the shot had not been correctly registered by the technology. The authorities reviewed the incident before confirming the original ruling.

That left India with no route back into medal contention through the appeal.

The incident was particularly painful because the margins at the top were relatively small. India eventually finished with 1727 points, 16 behind China, eight behind South Korea and seven behind Chinese Taipei.

The defending champions had entered the event with a star-studded line-up, but the team could not produce the scores required to stay on the podium.

MANU BHAKER RETURNS WITHOUT MEDAL

And the responsibility for the fifth-place finish cannot rest solely on Sarnobat. Manu Bhaker, one of India's biggest medal hopes in shooting, also had a disappointing individual qualification round.

Bhaker finished 11th with a score of 579 and failed to make the individual final. Esha Singh, meanwhile, made the final after finishing eighth with 580.

Sarnobat finished 30th with 568, including a disastrous fourth series in which she scored 39.

For a team that had been in medal contention, the combined scores left India with too much ground to make up. The result was another disappointment for India's shooting contingent at the Asian Games, which had entered the competition with high expectations after producing medals in several events.

- Ends