Shooting National Selection Trials: Manini Kaushik, Aishwary Pratap Top 50m Rifle Prone on Day 1

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The opening day of the Rifle/Pistol National Selection Trials 1&2 (Group A) at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range delivered early statements in the 50m rifle prone events, with Rajasthan's Manini Kaushik and world championship silver medallist Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar finishing on top of the women's and men's fields respectively in Selection Trial 1.

Manini Kaushik edges a crowded women's field

Manini led the women's 50m rifle prone T1 with a score of 625.0, built on a steady, series-by-series display that read 104.7, 104.2, 102.3, 104.6, 104.2, and 105. Karnataka's Tilottama Sen placed second on 622.6, with Kerala's Vidarsa K Vinod close behind in third at 622.0.

The depth in the field was underlined by the narrow margins, with just 0.4 separating the shooters placed fifth to eighth. Jharkhand's Supriya Kumari finished fourth on 621.7, ahead of current national champion Priya of the Army Marksmanship Unit (620.7). Nischal of Haryana (620.6), Ashi Chouksey of Madhya Pradesh (620.5,) and Punjab's Sift Kaur Samra (620.4) completed the top eight.

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar dominates men's shooting prone

In the men's 50m rifle prone T1, Aishwary Pratap set the tone early, topping the standings with an impressive 629.6. The national champion in 50m rifle 3P combined a strong start with a controlled finish to open a 3.2-point gap at the top, shooting a series of 105.3, 105.4, 105.7, 104.9, 103.7, and 104.6.

Former world champion Akhil Sheoran claimed second place with 626.4, while reigning national champion Swapnil Kusale finished third on 625.3. Army shooters Nishan Budha (623.8) and Chain Singh (622.9) placed fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Navy's Nikhil Tanwar (621.9), Army's Babu Singh Panwar (621.6), and Navy shooter Niraj Kumar (620.6).

In the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol T1, Navy's Omkar Singh led after Stage 1 of qualification with 295-14x. Rajasthan's Bhavesh Shekhawat (292-9x) and Uttar Pradesh's Ankur Goel (291-10x) occupied second and third positions. World Championship silver medallist Anish Bhanwala shot 286-12x and was placed seventh. The second qualification stage and T1 finals will be held tomorrow.

The finals of the 50m Rifle 3 Positions (T1) for both men and women, along with the T2 finals of the 50m rifle prone events, are also scheduled for tomorrow.