Haryana’s Ramita Jindal and Himanshu Dhillon delivered a composed and authoritative performance to clinch the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions, NSCC 2025–26, held at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy.
In a high-quality final, the Haryana pair overcame Maharashtra’s Arya Borse and Parth Mane 16–12, underlining the state’s growing dominance in rifle shooting across age groups.
The gold medal capped a remarkable two-day run for Himanshu Dhillon, who had set the range alight just a day earlier by establishing a new national record and junior national record score of 634.5 in the men’s 10m air rifle event. Carrying that momentum into the mixed team competition, Himanshu combined seamlessly with Ramita, with the duo showing control under pressure and tactical clarity during the decisive phases of the final.
Facing the Maharashtra pairing of Arya and Parth, both known for their consistency, Haryana started cautiously before gradually asserting control. Ramita’s steadiness in the opening series ensured the pair stayed neck-and-neck early on, while Himanshu’s high-value shots in the middle phase gave Haryana the breathing space they needed. As the match tightened towards the latter stages, the Haryana shooters displayed superior composure, closing out the contest 16–12 to secure the top podium spot.
The bronze medal match proved to be one of the most dramatic contests of the day. Delhi’s Rajshree Sancheti and Paarth Makhija edged past the Madhya Pradesh duo of Shreya Agrawal and Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar in a tense 17–15 encounter. With both teams trading points deep into the match, Rajshree and Paarth held their nerve in the closing shots, capitalising on a couple of marginal errors from their opponents to seal third place.
The mixed team competitions across junior and youth categories also showcased the depth of Indian rifle shooting, with several states producing athletes capable of delivering under pressure on the national stage.
In the junior 10m air rifle mixed team event, West Bengal’s Sandrata Roy and Abhinav Shaw produced a calm and disciplined display to win the gold medal, defeating Tamil Nadu’s Maneshika Tarun Senthil and Shaktivel Senthilvel 16–8 in the final. The West Bengal pair maintained a steady scoring rhythm throughout the match, rarely allowing their opponents to build momentum. Karnataka’s Hrudya Shri Kondur and Naraen Pranav claimed the bronze medal after a convincing 17–9 victory over Andhra Pradesh’s Nishitha Bommidi and Ummahesh Maddineni.
The youth category final was a far tighter affair, with Maharashtra’s Isha Anil Taksale and Pritam Kendre emerging victorious in a closely fought gold medal match against Tamil Nadu’s Maneshika and Shaktivel. The Maharashtra pair edged the contest 16–14, demonstrating maturity beyond their years in handling pressure situations. Karnataka added another medal to their tally as Tilottama Sen and Abishek Sekhar secured the bronze with a 17–9 win over West Bengal’s Sandrata and Abhinav.
Beyond the mixed team events, the 10m air rifle team competitions further highlighted Haryana’s strength in depth. In the senior men’s team event, Haryana’s trio of Himanshu Dhillon, Arshdeep Singh and Samarvir Singh claimed gold with a total score of 1891.1. Maharashtra finished second with 1885.7, while Karnataka took bronze by the narrowest of margins with 1885.6.
Haryana continued their dominance in the junior men’s team category as well, with Himanshu teaming up with Pranav Jindal and Talwar Singh to secure gold on 1883. Karnataka settled for silver with 1881.6, and West Bengal claimed bronze with 1880.8. The youth team event followed a similar pattern, as Maharashtra topped the podium with 1882.2, ahead of Karnataka (1881.6) and West Bengal (1879.5).
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As the NSCC action progresses, attention will now turn to New Delhi, where the championships move after Christmas. The men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol final is scheduled for Friday, December 26 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, promising another round of high-intensity competition as India’s shooters continue their quest for national honours and international qualification standards.
The performances in Bhopal have once again underlined the depth, competitiveness and rising standards of Indian shooting, with young athletes pushing established names and states like Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka consistently setting the benchmark across categories.
