Rifle/Pistol national selection trials: Anish, Sri Karthik, Nishchal among first winners

New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): Anish Bhanwala, Sri Karhtik Sabari Raj and Nishchal are among the first winners at the National Selection Trials 5 and Trial 6 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters, currently underway at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range, here in the national capital.

Anish continued to impress as India’s number one in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (RFP), while Sri Karthik Sabari Raj of Tamil Nadu won the Men’s 10m Air Rifle T5 competition on Sunday, day two of the trials. Nishchal triumphed in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) T5, ensuring Haryana had two of the three wins in the day’s senior competitions, given Anish’s win in the Men’s RFP.

Anish topped the qualifications of the men’s RFP which began on Saturday and ended on Sunday with an above-average effort of 584 out of a possible 600. In the final though, he was in his element, shooting a stunning 35 out of 40, with four perfect scores of five among the eight series of five rapid-fire shots each. Bhavesh Shekhawat of Rajasthan was a distant second with 29 while Punjab’s Anhad Jawanda was third with 22 hits to his name.

In the Women’s 3P, the qualifying scores were high with Bhopal World Cup bronze medallist Sift Kaur Samra of Punjab, topping with 592. Haryana’s Nishchal in fact took the eighth and final qualifying spot with a score of 585, but was the most consistent in the final, staying among the top two and mostly in the lead throughout.

She eventually won with a finals score of 457.7, just 0.4 ahead of the seasoned Lajja Gauswami of Gujarat, now in her 16th year of competing at the highest level. Odisha’s Shriyanka Sadangi was third with 446.7.

In the Men’s 10m Air Rifle, Tamil Nadu shooter Sri Karthik Sabari Raj, pipped Assam’s Hriday Hazarika, who had mounted a brilliant late charge, by 0.2 points in the final. Sri Karthik finished with 253.2. Punjab’s Arjun Babuta was third with 231.5. Sri Karthik had also topped the qualification round with 633.5 as all eight qualifiers shot above the 630-mark. Hriday was fifth in qualification.

Shotgun Team for Baku World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games selected

While the Rifle and Pistol shooters await the same news after the conclusion of the fifth and sixth trials, a 12-member Indian Shotgun squad for the upcoming Baku World Championships in August and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September were announced on the day.

There were no surprises as each event’s top three ranked shooters were selected. While the World Championships will feature the Trap Mixed Team competition, the Asian Games will not have the same in the roster.