The 68th National Shooting Championships Competitions (NSCC), held across Bhopal (rifle and pistol) and New Delhi (shotgun), once again underlined why India’s shooting ecosystem remains among the most competitive in the world.
Beyond medal tallies, the championships delivered two results of significant international relevance: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar’s extraordinary performance in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions and Gurjoat Singh’s breakthrough win in men’s skeet .
Together, these performances highlight not just individual brilliance but the strategic value of India’s intense domestic competition in preparing athletes for global success.
Aishwary Tomar’s Benchmark Performance in 50m Rifle 3 Positions
The standout moment of the championships came in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions final, where Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, already a World Championship silver medallist and current World No. 3, produced a score of 470.5 points. The magnitude of this performance cannot be overstated—it exceeded the official ISSF world record of 468.9 by a substantial 1.6 points .
While the score will not be ratified as a world record due to the NSCC’s domestic status, it stands as a new national record and a powerful validation of Tomar’s global medal-winning potential. In precision shooting, a margin of 1.6 points at elite level represents multiple near-perfect shots, particularly significant in the standing position, the most volatile phase of the 3P final.
Tomar’s dominance was not limited to the final. He had earlier topped qualification with 597 points, equalling his own national record and sitting just one point shy of the ISSF world qualification record. Maintaining such consistency across qualification and final formats each demanding vastly different skill sets speaks to his technical stability and psychological resilience .
What the Final Revealed About Competitive Volatility
The 3P final also highlighted the unforgiving nature of elimination-format shooting. Navy shooter Niraj Kumar claimed silver with 463.7, while Akhil Sheoran took bronze at 451.8. In contrast, Paris Olympic quota holders Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Arjun Babuta, despite shooting strong qualification scores of 594 each, finished fifth and sixth respectively.
The striking 40.8-point gap between Tomar and Kusale in the final, despite just a three-point separation in qualification, underlined a critical reality: finals reward composure under pressure more than raw consistency. Tomar’s ability to stay stable during the standing elimination phase marked a clear competitive edge, while others faltered under escalating pressure.
Gurjoat Singh’s Breakthrough in Men’s Skeet
Equally significant was the men’s skeet result, where Gurjoat Singh emerged victorious with 55 hits, narrowly edging out veteran Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan, who finished with 54. The margin may have been slim, but the implications were substantial.
Mairaj Ahmad Khan is one of Indian shotgun shooting’s most decorated figures a two-time Olympian, nine-time national champion and a 26-time NSCC medallist. Defeating such a seasoned competitor in a high-pressure final signals that Gurjoat Singh has crossed a key threshold in competitive readiness.
This result reflects growing depth in Indian skeet, a discipline where global success has often lagged behind rifle and pistol. The emergence of shooters capable of challenging established veterans introduces healthy internal pressure, a vital ingredient for sustained international competitiveness.
The Strategic Value of Domestic Competition
The overarching takeaway from the 68th NSCC is the density of elite performance within India’s domestic circuit. In both rifle and shotgun events, internationally proven athletes were pushed hard or beaten outright by competitors operating at comparable standards.
This internal competitiveness serves as India’s greatest strategic asset. Selection becomes inherently meritocratic, with no athlete Olympic quota holder or otherwise guaranteed success without delivering under pressure. Such an environment mirrors international finals more closely than many global competitions, ensuring that those who rise domestically are better prepared mentally and technically for world events .
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For Aishwary Tomar, the NSCC performance reinforces his credentials as a genuine Olympic and World Championship title contender. For Gurjoat Singh, the victory marks a transition from promising talent to serious national challenger.
From a programmatic standpoint, the championships also raise important questions. Landmark performances like Tomar’s highlight the potential value of securing ISSF technical oversight at major domestic events, allowing exceptional scores to gain international recognition. At the same time, the disparity between qualification and final performances points to the need for greater emphasis on final-stage simulation training, particularly in elimination-heavy events like 50m Rifle 3 Positions.
Ultimately, the 68th National Shooting Championships reaffirmed a simple truth: India’s shooters are being forged in an environment of relentless competition. That pressure, more than anything else, remains the strongest indicator of future international success.
