At India’s national shooting trials 2024, held at the MP State Shooting Academy ranges in Bhopal on Tuesday, shooter Arjun Babuta showcased an exceptional performance by matching the men’s 10m air rifle world record score.
Babuta dominated the third trial, securing the top position in the men’s 10m air rifle final with an impressive score of 253.7. Remarkably, his score equaled that of Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar’s world record score, achieved at the 2024 ISSF World Cup Cairo earlier this year.
In a tightly contested competition, Kiran Ankush Jadhav secured the second position, while Sri Karthik Sabri Raj, the qualification topper, claimed the third spot.
The trials, organized by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), were exclusively for Group A shooters, comprising the top-ranked marksmen and markswomen from the country.
The top five Indian shooters, based on national rankings as of February 29, will earn the opportunity to participate in NRAI’s final selection trials for the Paris 2024 Olympics. With India already securing 19 out of 24 quotas in shooting for the upcoming Summer Games, the national trials hold significant importance for the shooters aiming to represent the country on the global stage.
In other notable performances, Anish Bhanwala, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, emerged victorious in both the third and fourth men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol trials. Bhanwala’s consistent display of skill earned him the top spot in the final of the fourth trial, where he posted an impressive score of 35 hits out of 40.
Ayushi Podder showcased her prowess in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event, clinching victory with a final-round score of 459.7, despite starting from seventh place in the qualification round. Vidarsa Vinod secured the second position, followed by Heena Gohei in third place.
