New Delhi, January 22, 2026:
Following an impressive showing earlier in the week in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions events, Tilottama Sen continued her outstanding run at the National Selection Trials 1 & 2 (Group A), clinching the top spot in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Trial 1 held on Thursday at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. In the men’s category, Railways shooter Shahu Tushar Mane secured first place, while Vijayveer Sidhu topped the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men’s Trial 2.
The junior national champion in air rifle women, Tilottama displayed remarkable composure under pressure in the final of Selection Trial 1. She qualified for the final as the eighth and last qualifier with a score of 630.8 but produced a series of consistent shots in the final to finish on top with 253.4.
Railways’ Sonam Uttam Maskar, who had qualified fifth with 631.2, mounted a strong challenge but settled for second place with a score of 252.8. Madhya Pradesh’s Nupur Kumrawat finished third with a final score of 230.5 after qualifying with 631.2.
Haryana’s Shruti, who topped the qualification round with 633.2, finished fifth in the final with 187.9. Maharashtra’s Isha Anil Taksale (631.1) placed fourth with 209.0, while R. Narmada Nitin finished sixth with 166.2 after qualifying with 631. Railways’ Mehuli Ghosh placed seventh with 145.3 (632.0), and Maharashtra’s Arya Rajesh Borase finished eighth with 123.7 (632.9).
Shahu Tushar Mane Claims Gold in 10m Air Rifle Men’s (T1)
Railways shooter Shahu Tushar Mane emerged victorious in the 10m Air Rifle Men’s Trial 1 final with a score of 253.9. Mane, who had qualified fifth with 632.6, maintained strong momentum throughout the final to secure the win in a closely contested field. Haryana’s Arshdeep Singh finished second with 251.1, while Maharashtra’s Parth Rakesh Mane, who qualified fourth with 632.9, took third place with a final score of 230.5. Haryana’s Samarveer Singh finished fourth with 209.2.
Railways Olympian Arjun Babuta, who topped qualification with an impressive 635.1, was unable to replicate that performance in the final and finished sixth with 166.4. Maharashtra’s Gajanan Shahadev Khandagale, who had qualified second with 633.3, finished fifth with 187.7. Maharashtra’s Rudranksh B. Patil (144.5) and Himachal Pradesh’s Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu (123.5) finished seventh and eighth respectively.
Vijayveer Sidhu Tops 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men’s (T2)
Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu clinched first place in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men’s Trial 2 final with 31 hits. National champion Suraj Sharma, who had dominated qualification with 588-22x, finished second in the final with 29 hits.
Punjab’s Udayveer Sidhu completed the podium with 25 hits, having qualified second with 585-20x, while his brother Vijayveer had qualified fifth with 579-19x. World Championship silver medallist Anish Bhanwala, who qualified third with 582-24x, finished fifth in the final with 15 hits. He was preceded by Navy shooter Omkar Singh, who recorded 18 hits. Uttarakhand’s Ankur Goyal (9) and Army’s Neeraj Kumar (5) completed the final line-up. Pradeep Singh Shekhawat, who had qualified fourth with 581-19x, did not feature in the final.
The National Selection Trials 1 & 2 will continue on Friday, January 23, 2026, with the Trial 2 finals of 10m Air Rifle Women, 10m Air Rifle Men, and 25m Pistol Women scheduled to be held.
