On the first day of the National Shooting Selection Trials for rifle and pistol shooters on Thursday, India’s rising star Manu Bhaker won the women’s 25m pistol title. The competition is currently taking place at Bhopal’s Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy Range.
Manu Bhaker won bronze in the women’s 25m pistol event of the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 at the same venue last month.
Manu Bhaker (21), the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup, won the trials by defeating local favourite Chinki Yadav 31-29 in the medal match.
Rhythm Sangwan took bronze after defeating Neha in a shoot-off. Rhythm Sangwan won the qualifying stage with 583 points, followed by Manu Bhaker (580) and Chinki Yadav (577). Arjun Babuta won the men’s 10m air rifle and Ashi Chouksey won the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions on the day.
Arjun Babuta had topped qualification with 634.5 points and outgunned Akhil Sheoran 16-6 in the medal round in the men’s air rifle final. In the women’s rifle 3 position event, Ashi Chouksey defeated Shriyanka Sadangi 16-10 after topping qualification with 589 points.