India's top rifle shooters continued to impress at the national selection trials as Arjun Babuta, a Paris Olympics quota holder, secured victory in consecutive competitions. Meanwhile, Ashi Chouksey, a triple Asian Games medallist, surpassed the world record on her way to winning in Bhopal on February 28.
Arjun Babuta shines in men's air rifle finals
In the men's 10m air rifle T4 finals, Arjun scored 252.5, falling just 1.2 points short of Divyansh Singh Panwar's world record of 253.7, which he had matched in the T3 trials before winning. Sri Karthik Sabari Raj of Tamil Nadu improved on his third-place finish in the T3 match, securing second place with a score of 252.2, while Yash Vardhan of Rajasthan finished third with 230.8 points.
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Former Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat secured the top spot in the women's 25m air pistol T4, scoring 33 points in the finals after posting a score of 583 in the qualifications.
Jaspreet Kaur from Punjab finished second with 30 hits, followed by Annu Raj Singh from Air India in third place with 27 hits.
Ashi steals the Show, sets records in T4 Event
However, the standout performance of the day came from Ashi, who not only dominated the qualifiers but also set records in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions T4 event. Ashi’s outstanding qualification round, where she dropped just three points, including a remarkable score of 597, set a blazing pace.
Her performance was only one point away from the current world record held jointly by Norway's Jenny Stene and USA's Sagen Maddalena.
In the finals, Ashi maintained her composure, securing a convincing victory with a total score of 461.8, leaving her competitors trailing behind.
Vidarsa Vinod from Kerala settled for second place, marking her second consecutive runner-up finish in two days, while Haryana's Himani Poonia secured the third spot.
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