Top Indian Shooters Shine in National Selection Trials
Indian Shooting Stars Reclaim Their Spots
Olympians Anjum Moudgil, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Mehuli Ghosh have made a strong comeback for potential spots on the Indian shooting team following the National Selection Trials 3 and 4 held at the Trishul Shooting Range in Dehradun.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has published the complete domestic rankings for Group A shooters eligible for selection on their official website after the final matches concluded on Monday.
Anjum Moudgil, a double Olympian and one of India's top female rifle shooters, missed the initial part of the international season, which included three world cup events. However, she has now secured her place in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P), surpassing fellow Olympian Shriyanka Sadangi in the rankings.
Sift Kaur Samra, the world record holder, continues to lead as the top-ranked 3P women's shooter in India, boasting an impressive average of 593.38. She is followed by Ashi Chouksey with 592.25 and Anjum with 591.68. The top six is rounded out by Sriyanka (589.90), Mehuli (588.58), and Surabhi Bharadwaj Rapole (588.08).
Saurabh Chaudhary, a former Asian Games and Youth Olympics champion, has reclaimed his position as the number one shooter in the men's 10m air pistol category, achieving a top average of 583.93. He is closely followed by Aditya Malra (582.75) and Anmol Jain (582.33), with Amit Sharma (582), Nishant Rawat (582), and Samrat Rana (581.45) completing the top six.
In the women's 10m Air Rifle category, Mehuli Ghosh, the Asian Championship 2024 gold medallist, has returned to the top of the domestic rankings with an average of 633.65, closely pursued by Elavenil Valarivan (633.28) and Ananya Naidu (632.83). Rising talents Arya Rajesh Borse (632.25), Ramita (632.05), and Sonam Uttam Maskar (631.60) also feature prominently in the rankings.
Suruchi continues to dominate the women's 10m Air Pistol category, leading with an average score of 588.25, nearly 10 points ahead of her closest rival, Palak (578.38). Paris Olympic double bronze medallist Manu Bhaker and Surbhi Rao both average 578, with Surbhi ranking fourth due to a lower drop score. Rhythm Sangwan (577.88) and Esha Singh (577.83) follow in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Manu, currently ranked second in the world, has not participated in the T3 and T4 rounds but still leads the 25m Sports Pistol Women rankings with an average of 588.65. The top six is rounded out by Simranpreet Kaur Brar (583.75), Esha Singh (583.50), Rahi Sarnobat (582.28), Abhidnya Patil (580.43), and Divya T.S. (580.38).
Anish Bhanwala, fresh from victories in Trials 3 and 4, holds the top position in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men category with an average of 581.25. He is followed by Neeraj Kumar (578.75) and Adarsh Singh (578.55), with Bhavesh Shekhawat (576.63), Pradeep Singh Shekhawat (576.30), and Mandeep Singh (576.00) completing the top six.
In the men's 10m Air Rifle category, reigning Asian champion Rudrankksh Patil leads with an average score of 633.98, just ahead of Arjun Babuta (633.40). Kiran Jadhav, with an average of 632.35, narrowly surpasses Umamahesh Maddineni for the third rank. Divyansh Singh Panwar (632) and Niraj Kumar (631.75) complete the high-performing top six.
Veteran Chain Singh remains the top shooter in the men's 3P event with an average score of 592.63, while Olympian Akhil Sheoran, with an average of 591.35, is just ahead of Aishwary Pratap Singh. Niraj Kumar (591.25), Paris Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kushale (589.15), and Army Marksmanship Unit’s Babu Singh (587.05) round out the top six.
In shotgun events, 2024 Asian Championships gold medallist Ganemat Sekhon leads the Skeet Women rankings with an average of 116.33, followed by Raiza Dhillon (116.00) and Maheshwari Chauhan (115.00). Yashasvi Rathore (112.67), Parinaaz Dhaliwal (111.33), and Darshna Rathore (109.67) complete the top six.
Abhay Singh Sekhon tops the Skeet Men rankings with an average of 121.33, closely followed by Bhavtegh Singh Gill (119.33), Olympian Anantjeet Singh Naruka (119.00), and Parampal Singh Guron (118.00), with Mairaj Ahmad Khan (118.00) tied for fourth. Sukhbir Singh Harika (117.33) is sixth.
Neeru from Madhya Pradesh leads the Trap Women rankings with an average of 117.00, followed by Aashima Ahlawat (116.00) and Preeti Rajak (114.00). Manisha Keer (113.67), Pragati Dubey (113.33), and Kirti Gupta (112.67) complete the top six.
In the Trap Men category, Olympian Lakshay Sheoran leads with an impressive average of 121.33, followed by Kynan Chenai (120.33) and Bhowneesh Mendiratta (120.00). R. Prithviraj Tondaiman ranks fourth (119.00), while Arjun (118.67) and Zoravar Singh Sandhu (118.00) secure the fifth and sixth positions.