The National Rifle and Pistol Selection Shooting Trials 3 and 4 in Raipur brought back familiar names into the national reckoning, while also underlining the depth of India’s shooting talent pool.
With strong performances across the board, the trials not only shaped the squads for upcoming international events but also hinted at fierce internal competition for limited spots.
Saurabh Chaudhary Shows Spark, But Needs Consistency
Former Asian Games gold medallist and Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary returned to form with a strong performance in the men’s 10m air pistol T3 final, finishing second with a score of 241.5. Saurabh, who shot a decent 582 in qualification, looked in control through much of the final but was narrowly edged out by Samrat Rana in the final shot. Rana fired a clutch 10.5 to claim the top spot with 241.7, while Saurabh could only manage a 9.6.
This marks an important step in Saurabh’s road back to the national team, but he will need another top-tier performance likely in T4 to reassert himself in the squad for international competitions. Notably, Varun Tomar, a recent regular in the team, failed to qualify for the finals.
Earlier, the qualification round saw Navy’s Aakash Bharadwaj top the standings with 584, followed by a tight pack including Samrat, Rajan Tomar, and Saurabh, all on 582. Inner 10s decided their respective rankings. Kamaljeet, Aditya Malra, Amanpreet Singh (581 each), and Vikash Kumar (580) completed the finals lineup.
Suruchi Inder Singh Dominates 10m Pistol
If there was one shooter who left no doubts about her dominance, it was Suruchi Inder Singh in the women’s 10m air pistol. She topped both the qualification and final in T3, showcasing composure, accuracy, and confidence.
In a high-quality final featuring the who’s who of Indian women’s pistol shooting, Suruchi shot 245.6 to edge out Manu Bhaker (244.5) in a thrilling finish. Veteran Rahi Sarnobat took third place with 223.1. Esha Singh, Pranjali Prashant Dhumal, Simranpreet Kaur Brar, Priya Muralidhar, and Sakshi Suryavanshi completed the top eight.
Suruchi’s qualification score of 585 put her four points ahead of Esha (581), underlining the form gap. Rahi (580), Manu (578-20x), and Priya (578-17x) were tightly bunched, with Pranjali (576), Sakshi (574-18x), and Simranpreet (574-15x) rounding out a very competitive top-eight field.
Mehuli Ghosh Returns to National Squad
After a prolonged absence, World Championship bronze medallist Mehuli Ghosh marked her comeback with a consistent showing across the trials. She topped the national rankings after the completion of the T3 and T4 trials and secured her return to the Indian team. Alongside her, Ananya and Ela Maurya retained their places in the squad. Promising shooters Arya and Ramita, however, narrowly missed the cut despite steady performances.
This selection comes at a crucial juncture for Mehuli, who had fallen out of the squad in recent seasons but now has an opportunity to reestablish herself as a mainstay in India’s air rifle setup.
APS Tomar, Niraj Kumar Seal Rifle Spots
In the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P), Navy shooter Niraj Kumar continued his fine run by completing a double winning both T3 and T4. In the T4 final, Niraj shot 463.0 to beat Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, who finished second with 461.0. Akhil Sheoran took third with 448.8, while Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale had to settle for fourth (438.4).
Niraj had also shot an impressive 592-32x in qualification, but it was Aishwary who topped that round with an extraordinary 595-35x. Nikhil Tanwar (591-34x), Swapnil (590-34x), and Akhil (589-32x) followed closely, showcasing the fine margins separating India’s top rifle shooters.
Despite strong showings from Aishwary and Akhil, it was APS Tomar who made headlines in NT4, firing a mammoth 595 to seal his place in the Indian team for both the Asian Shooting Championship and the ISSF World Cup in Ningbo. Chain Singh and Akhil Sheoran also made the squad, while Swapnil Kusale despite his past pedigree—missed out.
Navy’s Aakash Bharadwaj and Samrat Rise in Air Pistol
In men’s 10m air pistol, the T3 final was a tight affair. After solid qualification scores from Aakash (584), and three shooters at 582 Samrat, Rajan Tomar, and Saurabh the final proved just as intense. Samrat emerged victorious with a composed final shot to take the win, while Saurabh settled for second. Aditya Malra rounded out the podium.
These results mean Samrat has now firmly inserted himself into the conversation for India’s top air pistol shooters, particularly with Varun Tomar missing the finals.
The trials will conclude with the 10m air pistol T4 event, which will likely finalize squad spots for key international events. For Saurabh Chaudhary, the upcoming round will be crucial to reclaim his spot. For Suruchi, Mehuli, Niraj, and APS Tomar, their recent form has put them in pole position heading into a vital stretch of the shooting calendar.
As India prepares for the Asian Shooting Championship and other key tournaments, the competitive heat from these trials bodes well for a sport that thrives on margins, mindset, and momentum.
