Navy shooter Kiran Ankush Jadhav delivered a performance built on composure and consistency to clinch the men’s 10m air rifle gold at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) at the MP State Shooting Academy.
In a high-quality final featuring some of India’s most established rifle shooters, Jadhav held his nerve to finish on top with a score of 252.1, edging out Olympian Arjun Babuta, who settled for silver with 251.4. Reigning national champion in the 50m rifle three positions, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, completed the podium with 229.8, as the final underlined the depth and competitiveness of Indian rifle shooting ahead of a crucial Olympic cycle.
Jadhav’s victory was marked by remarkable steadiness through the elimination stages. While the margins at the top were slender, the Navy shooter consistently found the inner ring when it mattered most, particularly in the closing series where Babuta threatened to overhaul him. The final scoreline reflected not only technical excellence but also the ability to manage pressure in a field stacked with international experience.
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Babuta, one of India’s most reliable performers in recent seasons and an Olympian, once again showed his class with a strong silver-medal effort. His Railways teammate Shahu Tushar Mane finished fourth with 209.3, narrowly missing out on the medals. Himanshu (181.1) placed fifth, followed by Ramayana Tomer (166.7), Onkar Vikas Waghamare (145.4), and Pradeep Singh (123.3), completing a demanding final.
The junior men’s 10m air rifle event showcased the next generation of Indian shooting talent. Gujarat’s Mohammed Murtaza Vania produced an authoritative display to win gold with an impressive 254.3, one of the standout scores of the competition. Abhinav Shaw of West Bengal claimed silver with 251.6, while Onkar Waghamare added a bronze to his tally with 230.1.
The junior final was tightly contested, with Naraen Pranav of Karnataka finishing fourth after a shoot-off with Waghamare. Divyanshu Shailendra Dewangan (187.5) and Parth Mane (166.9) placed fifth and sixth respectively, with Parth also bowing out after a shoot-off. Uma Mahesh Maddineni (145.3) and Himanshu (123) rounded off the finalists, reflecting the fine margins that continue to define domestic rifle shooting.
Waghamare, however, went one better in the youth men’s category, converting his experience into gold with a score of 250. He built a decisive advantage in the latter stages of the final to finish just 0.3 points ahead of his state teammate Naraen Pranav, who took silver. Tamil Nadu’s Shakthivel Senthivel claimed bronze with 229.5 after a composed showing.
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Parth finished fourth with 208.2, followed by Abhinav Shaw (187.3) and Pritam Kendre (166.4), who exited after a shoot-off. Abishek Sekhar (145.2) and Ritesh Ravindra Ghule (123.1) completed the youth finalists, as the event highlighted the growing competitiveness in India’s junior and youth ranks.
Beyond rifle shooting, the day also saw medals decided across pistol and shotgun events. In the senior men’s 25m pistol, Haryana’s Mandeep Singh clinched gold with 587 (21x), narrowly ahead of Navy’s Amit Kumar, who finished with 586 (25x). Suraj Sharma of Uttar Pradesh secured bronze with 585 (13x). Sharma later added to his tally by winning gold in the junior and youth categories, underlining his dominance in the event across age groups.
Team honours in junior men’s 25m pistol went to Madhya Pradesh, with Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand finishing second and third respectively. Civilian and junior civilian categories also produced closely fought contests, while the deaf category saw Uttarakhand’s Abhinav Deshwal claim gold with a strong score of 584 (15x).
In trap shooting, Gujarat’s Aryan Singh topped the youth men’s category with a score of 118, while Addya Katyal of Delhi emerged victorious in youth women’s trap with 112. Veteran shooter Darius Chenai of Telangana continued his strong domestic presence by winning gold in the senior master men’s trap event.
For Jadhav, the 10m air rifle gold represents a significant milestone at the national level, especially in a final that included Olympic and Asian Tour-tested shooters. With domestic competition intensifying and younger athletes pushing established names, performances like these reinforce the importance of consistency and mental strength at the elite level.
The action at the MP State Shooting Academy continues on Tuesday with the 10m air rifle mixed team event, promising more high-quality competition as shooters look to build momentum in one of the most important domestic meets on the Indian shooting calendar.
