Rifle and Pistol Stars Gather in Delhi Ahead of International Season
Incidentally, the men’s RFP has the fewest starters, with about a dozen of India’s top competitors, including Olympian and world championship silver medalist Anish Bhanwala.
New Delhi: The Indian domestic shooting season continues on Monday as the country’s top rifle and pistol shooters, more than 150 competitors across eight Olympic events plus the exclusive 50m rifle prone event for men and women, gather at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (DKSSR) in the national capital for the Group A National Selection Trials 1&2, set for January 19 to 25. Day one will feature the two T1 prone finals and the first day of men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) T1 qualification.
Incidentally, the men’s RFP has the fewest starters, with about a dozen of India’s top competitors, including Olympian and world championship silver medalist Anish Bhanwala. Among other top shooters participating at the esteemed DKSSR will be the reigning world champion Samrat Rana in men’s 10m air pistol, double Olympic bronze medalist Manu Bhaker, and her fellow Paris Olympic bronze medalists Swapnil Kusale in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) and Sarabjot Singh, also competing in men’s air pistol.
Esha Singh, a former mixed team world champion and last year’s individual world championship bronze medalist, will compete in both women’s pistol events alongside Manu. Additionally, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, the former world champion in 10m air rifle, will compete in both men’s rifle events. In addition to world championship medalists Anjum Moudgil, Mehuli Ghosh, and Akhil Sheoran, participants will also compete in the women’s Air Rifle and 3P events. Also featured will be Suruchi Phogat, world number two and winner of the World Cup finals, turning the women’s air pistol event into the main highlight of the trials.
The National Trials will feature group A rookies — young, talented shooters who have recently made a strong impact and advanced to the elite level. Competitors like Jonathan Gavin Antony in men’s pistol, Adriyan Karmakar and Mahit Sandhu in men’s and women’s 3P, respectively, and Suraj Sharma in men’s RFP are expected to challenge the seasoned stars. Among the experienced shooters, Olympian and former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat will compete in both women’s pistol events. She will be joined by notable athletes like ONGC’s Shweta Singh, an Asian Games bronze medalist, Indian Navy’s Omkar Singh, and Gujarat’s Lajja Gauswami, who have been part of India and junior India teams for two decades and remain prominent in the sport.
With the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (68th NSCC) having concluded in the first week of the new year, top shooters, particularly those who missed out on the nationals on the scores front, will look to make strong comebacks as the international season ends in March, begins in April, and the race to make the Indian team heats up. To qualify for the first National squad of 2026, scores from the initial two trials are essential, emphasising their significance.
Top shooters will want to compete in premier international events early to assess their skills and identify areas for improvement. This preparation is crucial ahead of a busy second half of the year, which includes the Asian Games and the World Championships- the latter being the first quota event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
