Tilottama Sen underlined her growing stature in Indian shooting with another high-quality performance at the National Selection Trials 1 & 2 Group A, clinching the 10m Air Rifle Women (Trial 1) title at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range on Thursday.
Coming on the back of her sweep of the 50m Rifle 3 Positions trials earlier in the week, the junior national champion completed a remarkable double that firmly places her among the country’s most in-form rifle shooters.
What made Tilottama’s victory even more impressive was the way she fought her way through a fiercely competitive field. She scraped into the eight-shooter final as the last qualifier with 630.8, but once the elimination rounds began, she steadily elevated her performance to finish with 253.4 and take the top step of the podium. It was a textbook example of composure under pressure, turning a marginal qualification into a commanding final-round statement.
Railways’ Sonam Uttam Maskar pushed Tilottama all the way, eventually finishing second with 252.8 after qualifying fifth on 631.2. Nupur Kumrawat of Madhya Pradesh, who had also shot 631.2 in qualification, rounded out the podium with 230.5 in the final.
The final itself was a study in contrasts. Shruti of Haryana, who had topped the qualification round with an impressive 633.2, was unable to reproduce that form under finals pressure and slipped to fifth with 187.9. Maharashtra’s Isha Anil Taksale was more consistent, converting her qualification score of 631.1 into a fourth-place finish on 209.0, while R Narmada Nithin ended sixth with 166.2 after qualifying on 631.
Two more high-profile names were also unable to mount a late charge. Railways’ Mehuli Ghosh, one of the strongest qualifiers on 632.0, finished seventh with 145.3, while Arya Rajesh Borse of Maharashtra, who had posted 632.9 in qualification, ended eighth with 123.7. For Tilottama, though, the result reinforced her growing reputation as a finals specialist, someone capable of delivering when it matters most.
Shahu Mane leads Railways charge in men’s air rifle
In the 10m Air Rifle Men (Trial 1), Railways’ Shahu Tushar Mane produced a similarly assured performance to take gold with 253.9. Mane had qualified fifth with 632.6, but once the final began he steadily climbed the standings, showing excellent control through the elimination stages to edge out a strong field.
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Arshdeep Singh of Haryana finished second on 251.1, while Parth Rakesh Mane of Maharashtra claimed bronze with 230.5, adding to his qualification score of 632.9. Haryana’s Samarvir Singh narrowly missed the medals, finishing fourth with 209.2.
The men’s final was notable for the struggles of some of the top qualifiers. Arjun Babuta, the Railways Olympian who had led qualification with a superb 635.1, could not find the same rhythm in the final and slipped to sixth with 166.4. Maharashtra’s Gajanan Shahadev Khandagale, second in qualification on 633.3, finished fifth with 187.7. Rudrankksh B. Patil (144.5) and Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu of Himachal Pradesh (123.5) completed the final standings.
The day’s third major title went to Vijayveer Sidhu in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men (Trial 2). The Olympian shot 31 hits in a high-pressure final to secure gold, once again underlining his consistency in one of shooting’s most demanding disciplines. National champion Suraj Sharma, who had dominated the qualification round with 588-22x, was second with 29 hits, while Udhayveer Sidhu of Punjab completed a Sidhu family presence on the podium by finishing third with 25 hits. Udhayveer had earlier qualified second on 585-20x, with Vijayveer coming into the final as the fifth qualifier on 579-19x.
World Championship silver medallist Anish Bhanwala, who qualified third with 582-24x, had a difficult final and finished fifth with 15 hits, behind Navy’s Omkar Singh, who logged 18. Ankur Goel of Uttarakhand (9) and Army shooter Neeraj Kumar (5) completed the final field, while Pradeep Singh Shekhawat did not start the final after qualifying fourth on 581-19x.
With the competition heating up, the National Selection Trials 1 & 2 continue on January 23, with the 10m Air Rifle Women (Trial 2), 10m Air Rifle Men (Trial 2) and the 25m Pistol Women (Trial 2) finals on the schedule. For Tilottama Sen, however, Thursday already marked a defining chapter one that confirmed her as one of the standout performers of the 2026 trials season.
