Former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat showcased a strong performance to secure the top spot in the women’s 25m pistol T4 finals during the National Selection Trials 4 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters. She finished with 37 hits, outperforming her competitors comfortably. Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medalist, claimed the silver with 35 hits, while Divya T.S. from Karnataka took the bronze with 29 hits.
Tamil Nadu’s Niveditha V. Nair secured the fourth position with 24 hits, followed by Olympian Rhythm Sangwan in fifth place with 22 hits. Arshdeep Kaur from Punjab finished sixth with 18 hits. Abhidnya Ashok Patil from Maharashtra claimed the seventh spot with 13 hits, and Chinki Yadav from Madhya Pradesh, who led the qualifiers, ended in eighth place with nine hits.
During the qualification round, Manu Bhaker secured the second position with a score of 584-16x. Arshdeep Kaur and Rahi Sarnobat finished third and fourth, scoring 579-20x and 579-18x, respectively. Niveditha V. Nair qualified fifth with 579-12x. Rhythm Sangwan and Divya T.S. both scored 578-16x, with Sangwan ranked higher on countback. Abhidnya Patil secured the last qualifying spot with 576-15x.
In the national rankings, Esha Singh, the world record holder and ISSF World Cup 2026 Munich gold medalist, retained her top position despite not participating in the trials. Manu Bhaker remained in second place, while Rahi Sarnobat moved up to third, swapping positions with Divya T.S., who dropped to fourth. Rhythm Sangwan maintained the fifth spot, and Chinki Yadav climbed from ninth to sixth after her impressive qualification performance.
The T4 Rifle/Pistol trials hold significant importance for the upcoming Asian Games, where 15 men and 15 women shooters will represent India in 28 shooting events in Aichi-Nagoya later this year. The shotgun team comprising 12 members has already been finalized, with the rifle and pistol squads set to be determined after the ongoing trials.
The competition will continue on Tuesday with four finals scheduled, including the men’s and women’s 10m air pistol events and the men’s and women’s 50m rifle 3-position competitions.
