Latest news with #RahiSarnobat
India Gazette
28-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Rahi, Mehuli and Niraj finish on top at National Shooting Trials in Dehradun
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 28 (ANI): Day five of the National Selection Trials 3 and 4 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters at the at the Trishul Shooting Range, Maharana Pratap Sports College, here in Raipur on Saturday, delivered another round of thrilling contests as Olympian Rahi Sarnobat, mixed team rifle Asian champion Mehuli Ghosh, and Navy's Niraj Kumar came out on top in their respective finals. In the women's 25m pistol T4 final, 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat produced a composed and clinical performance to outclass the field. She scored 40 hits in the final, finishing six points clear of Maharashtra's Abhidnya Ashok Patil, who scored 34. Haryana's Vibhuti Bhatia rounded off the podium with a score of 27, as per a press release from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). Earlier in the qualification, it was a close duel between Rahi and Olympian Rhythm Sangwan, both registering scores of 582. Rhythm with 18 inner 10 hits edged into the top spot in qualification with two more 10s than Rahi. Anjali Choudhary and Vibhuti Bhatia also shot identical scores of 579-17x, with Anjali clinching third place based on the count of inner hits. The finals lineup also included Ishneet Aulakh (578-16x), Heena Sidhu (577-10x), Abhidnya Ashok Patil (576-21x), and Chinki Yadav (576-14x). In the women's 10 air rifle (ARW), Mehuli Ghosh shot 253.6 to win T4 finals, after she finished second in qualification, just 0.2 behind Olympian Ramita Jindal (633.5). Meghana M. Sajjanar of Railways finished in second place with 253.1 while Sonam Uttam Maskar held her nerve in the eliminations and clinched third with 231.4, narrowly edging out Ramita (210) by 0.1 at the 20-shot mark. The qualification leaderboard included Ramita, followed by Mehuli, Meghana (631.9), and Sonam (631.6). Tilottama Sen (631.4), Kashika Pradhan (631.1), T3 winner Narmada Nithin (630.5), and Rajshree Anilkumar (630.1) completed T4 final starting list. Navy marksman Niraj Kumar delivered a clinical finish in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) Men T3 final, scoring 463.9 to claim top honours against a star-studded lineup. He held steady throughout the 45-shot final to outshot Army's Babu Singh Panwar, who had earlier topped the qualification with an impressive 591-32x but settled for second place in the final with 457.3. Two-time Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar settled for third place with a score of 447.0 The T3 qualifiers saw a fiercely contested field, with Paris Olympic bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale (590-42x) and Niraj (590-35x) close behind Babu Singh. Nikhil Tanwar (589-39x), Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu (589-27x), Rudrankksh Patil (587-30x), and Pratham Bhadana (587-30x) completed the top eight. The same set of shooters will return to the firing line tomorrow (Sunday, June 29, 2025) for the T4 qualification and final round of the men's 3P event. The day's schedule will also feature the 10m Air Pistol T3 qualifications and finals in both men's and women's categories. (ANI)
Hans India
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Rahi, Mehuli and Niraj finish on top at National Shooting Trials in Dehradun
Dehradun: Olympian Rahi Sarnobat, mixed team rifle Asian champion Mehuli Ghosh, and Navy's Niraj Kumar came out on top in their respective finals as Day 5 of the National Selection Trials 3&4 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters delivered another round of thrilling contests at the Trishul Shooting Range here in Raipur. In the women's 25m pistol T4 final, 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat produced a composed and clinical performance to outclass the field. She scored 40 hits in the final, finishing six points clear of Maharashtra's Abhidnya Ashok Patil, who scored 34. Haryana's Vibhuti Bhatia rounded off the podium with a score of 27. Earlier in the qualification, it was a close duel between Rahi and Olympian Rhythm Sangwan, both registering scores of 582. Rhythm with 18 inner 10 hits edged into the top spot in qualification with two more 10s than Rahi. Anjali Choudhary and Vibhuti Bhatia also shot identical scores of 579-17x, with Anjali clinching third place based on the count of inner hits. The lineup for the final also included Ishneet Aulakh (578-16x), Heena Sidhu (577-10x), Abhidnya Ashok Patil (576-21x), and Chinki Yadav (576-14x). In the women's 10 air rifle (ARW), Mehuli Ghosh shot 253.6 to win the T4 finals, after she finished second in qualification, just 0.2 behind Olympian Ramita Jindal (633.5). Meghana M. Sajjanar of Railways finished in second place with 253.1 while Sonam Uttam Maskar held her nerve in the eliminations and clinched third with 231.4, narrowly edging out Ramita (210) by 0.1 at the 20-shot mark. The qualification leaderboard included Ramita, followed by Mehuli, Meghana (631.9), and Sonam (631.6). Tilottama Sen (631.4), Kashika Pradhan (631.1), T3 winner Narmada Nithin (630.5), and Rajshree Anilkumar (630.1) completed the T4 final starting list. Navy marksman Niraj Kumar delivered a clinical finish in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) Men T3 final, scoring 463.9 to claim top honours against a star-studded lineup. He held steady throughout the 45-shot final to outshoot Army's Babu Singh Panwar, who had earlier topped the qualification with an impressive 591-32x but settled for second place in the final with 457.3. Two-time Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar settled for third place with a score of 447.0 The T3 qualifiers saw a fiercely contested field, with Paris Olympic bronze medalists Swapnil Kusale (590-42x) and Niraj (590-35x) close behind Babu Singh. Nikhil Tanwar (589-39x), Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu (589-27x), Rudrankksh Patil (587-30x), and Pratham Bhadana (587-30x) completed the top eight. The same set of shooters will return to the firing line tomorrow (Sunday, June 29, 2025) for the T4 qualification and final round of the men's 3P event. The day's schedule will also feature the 10m Air Pistol T3 qualifications and finals in both men's and women's categories.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rahi Sarnobat back to her best in sports pistol
Asian Games gold medallist and three-time World Cup champion Rahi Sarnobat was back to her best as she beat a strong field and topped the sports pistol event with a six-point margin over Abhidnya Patil in the National shooting selection trials at the Trishul Academy in Maharana Pratap Sports College, on Saturday. After having top scored with 582, on par with world record holder Rhythm Sangwan who slipped to the seventh spot, the 34-year-old Rahi shot with her usual consistent accuracy in the final. Vibhuti Bhatia took the third place ahead of World Cup gold medallist Chinki Yadav. Anjali Choudhary, Ishneet Aulakh and Heena Sidhu were the others to make the final. World championship silver medallist Mehuli Ghosh was in equally robust form as she topped the air rifle event, beating Meghana Sajjanar by a half point. More importantly, Mehuli had shot 633.3 in qualification, the second best behind Asian Games medalist Ramita Jindal (633.5), who eventually placed fourth behind Sonam Maskar. Rajshreeri Sancheti, Narmada NIthin, Kashika Pradhan and Tilottama Sen were the others to make the final. In 50-metre rifle 3-position event, Niraj Kumar prevailed over qualification topper Babu Singh Panwar (591) with a 6.6 point margin. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar beat Olympic medalist Swapnil Kusale to the third place, while Rudrankksh Patil placed fifth. Nikhil Tanwar, Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu and Prathan Bhadana were the others to make the final. The results: Women: 10m air rifle: 1. Mehuli Ghosh 253.6 (633.3); 2. Meghana Sajjanar 253.1 (631.9); 3. Sonam Maskar 231.4 (631.6). 25m sports pistol: 1. Rahi Sarnobat 40 (582); 2. Abhidnya Patil 34 (576); 3. Vibhuti Bhatia 27 (579). Men: 50m rifle 3-position: 1. Niraj Kumar 463.9 (590); 2. Babu Singh Panwar 457.3 (591); 3. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar 447.0 (588).
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Shooter Rahi Sarnobat plots international comeback in Munich World Cup
New Delhi: Rahi Sarnobat, having suffered from a debilitating neuropathic pain syndrome for over two years, is finally looking ahead. Pain free after months, the 25m pistol shooter from Maharashtra's Kolhapur will be back in an international shooting range after 18 months — her last multi-national competition was the Jakarta Asian Championships in early 2024 — when she takes aim at the ongoing World Cup in Munich later this week. Sarnobat, into her 17th year as a professional shooter, will be competing as a RPO (ranking points only) shooter and hence won't be in medal contention. Still, there's lot to look forward to for her. 'The feel of a high-quality competition, for one,' she said. 'I was gone for too long and it seems Indian shooting has changed completely. I'll have to shoot very well to challenge our youngsters.' The 35-year-old will be joined by the experienced Divya TS in RPO while double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and youngsters Simranpreet Kaur Brar and Esha Singh will vie for a medal. Among the most competitive disciplines in Indian shooting, the women's pistol division has seen a steady inflow of young talent over the past few years, making Munich a rare opportunity for Sarnobat to cement her place all over again. 'My time away from shooting has told me that I have a pretty strong pain threshold, both mentally and physically. I have accepted the fact that I have fallen off the radar a bit, but I believe I still have the talent to come back,' she said. 'I will target a score around mid-580s, that's what I have been hitting in training. More importantly, I want to get the feel of competition back in my system.' Having shed 20 kgs and tweaked her pistol settings 'to suit my age and muscle strength', Sarnobat has also hired a team of professionals to guide her through her comeback. Her stance has also become more side-on to account for the persistent strain she feels post her recovery on the left side of her neck. Her grip has been purpose-built and the weight of her pistol has been reduced to ensure better stability at the firing point. 'I had to unlearn and relearn a lot of things. I had forgotten to stand still. My muscle strength, eyesight, and stability have all changed a lot and hence my equipment needed customisation,' she explained. 'I am consulting a new psychologist because it is very important to shield myself from negative thoughts. I am relying a lot on data to help analyse my performance and I am on a lookout for a new coach. I do hope Munich is the start of a new, successful phase for me.' Bronze for Elavenil India got their campaign off on Tuesday with 10m air rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan taking bronze. The two-time Olympian bowed out after a poor 22nd shot in the 24-shot final with a score of 232.1, settling for third place. Wang Zifei (252.7) of China won gold and South Korea's Eunji Kwon (252.6) was second.
