Former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat delivered a commanding performance to secure the top position in the women's 25m pistol T4 finals during the National Selection Trials 4 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters. The event took place at the Trishul Shooting Range of the Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun on Monday.
Final Standings
Rahi Sarnobat displayed consistent control throughout the final, finishing with 37 hits to comfortably claim the gold medal. Two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker settled for the silver medal with 35 hits, while Karnataka's Divya TS earned the bronze with 29 hits, according to a press release from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Tamil Nadu's Niveditha V Nair finished fourth with 24 hits, followed by Olympian Rhythm Sangwan in fifth place with 22 hits. Punjab's Arshdeep Kaur secured sixth position with 18 hits. Maharashtra's Abhidnya Ashok Patil took seventh place with 13 hits, while Madhya Pradesh's Chinki Yadav, who had topped the qualification round with a score of 586-22x, finished eighth with nine hits.
Qualification Round
Earlier in the qualification round, Manu Bhaker finished second with a score of 584-16x. Arshdeep Kaur and Rahi Sarnobat were third and fourth, respectively, with scores of 579-20x and 579-18x. Niveditha V Nair qualified fifth with 579-12x, while Rhythm Sangwan and Divya TS both shot 578-16x, with Sangwan placed ahead on countback. Abhidnya Patil secured the final qualifying berth with a score of 576-15x.
National Rankings Update
In the national rankings, world record holder and ISSF World Cup 2026 Munich gold medalist Esha Singh retained the top position despite not participating in the trials. Manu Bhaker remained in second place. Rahi Sarnobat moved up to third in the standings, swapping places with Divya TS, who dropped to fourth. Rhythm Sangwan stayed in fifth place, while Chinki Yadav climbed from ninth to sixth after her strong qualification performance.
Importance for Asian Games
The T4 Rifle/Pistol trials are crucial from an Asian Games perspective, with 15 men and 15 women shooters set to represent India across 28 shooting events in Aichi-Nagoya later this year. The 12-member shotgun squad has already been announced, while the rifle and pistol teams will be finalized after the conclusion of the ongoing trials.
Upcoming Events
Action resumes on Tuesday with four finals scheduled, including the men's and women's 10m air pistol events as well as the men's and women's 50m rifle 3 positions competitions.
