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Olympian Manu Bhaker and Paris quota winner Vijayveer Sidhu emerged victorious in the fourth and final Olympic Selection Trial (OST) for 25m pistol events in Bhopal on Tuesday.Manu, under the guidance of legendary pistol shooter Jaspal Rana, showcased her dominance by equaling the world record with a score of 42 in the women's 25m Pistol OST T4 final. Vijayveer, on the other hand, secured a score of 34 in the decider of the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol OST T4 to claim victory.Manu's consistent performance throughout the trials was evident as she won two and finished second in the other two. She was the only shooter among the selected five to maintain a score above 580 in the qualification round. Abhidnya Patil (35) and Simranpreet Kaur Brar (30) secured the second and third podium positions, respectively.In the men's rapid fire event, Vijayveer took an early lead and maintained it until the final series to register his first outright victory in the trials. Anish Bhanwala (30) and Adarsh Singh (25) finished second and third, respectively. Anish, however, emerged as the most successful shooter in the event, having won two trials and finished second in the other two.The qualification rounds for the men's and women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event will take place on Wednesday, with local hopes Aishwary Tomar and Ashi Chouksey set to participate.

Indian Shooters Gear Up for Paris Olympic Trials in BhopalThe Indian shooting contingent is set to resume their quest for Olympic glory as the third and fourth Olympic Selection Trials (OST) commence in Bhopal on Saturday. With 16 Paris quota places secured in pistol and rifle events, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is conducting trials among the top five shooters in each event to determine the squad for the Games.In shooting, Olympic quotas are earned for the country, but individual shooters must prove their worth in selection trials to secure their berths in Paris. The top two shooters in each event, based on the average of their best three trial scores out of four, will represent India at the Olympics.The first two trials were held in New Delhi last month, and the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal will host the remaining trials over the next nine days. The opening day will feature the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol and women's 25m pistol T3 qualification rounds, with the finals scheduled for Sunday.A total of 16 matches across eight Olympic rifle and pistol individual events will be held, culminating in the men's and women's 10m air rifle T4 finals on May 19. Three women shooters, Olympian Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rhythm Sangwan, are vying for multiple events, including the 25m sport pistol and 10m air pistol.Among the favorites in the men's rapid-fire pistol event are Anish Bhanwala and Vijayveer Sidhu, who hold quota places and have performed well in the first two trials. In the 25m sport pistol, Manu and Esha have emerged as strong contenders after the initial trials.Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Ashi Chouksey will renew their rivalry for Olympic spots in the men's and women's 50m rifle 3 positions, respectively.The trials will be a crucial test for the Indian shooters as they aim to secure their places in the Paris Olympic squad. With the competition expected to be intense, the top performers will have the opportunity to represent their country on the world's biggest sporting stage.

Maheshwari Chauhan, a rising star in Indian shooting, has secured India's 21st quota place for the upcoming Paris Olympics. On the concluding day of the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship Shotgun in Doha, Chauhan clinched a silver medal in the women's skeet event, earning her a coveted spot at the prestigious sporting spectacle.Chauhan's journey to the Olympics has been marked by unwavering determination and relentless hard work. Competing in her maiden ISSF Final, she displayed nerves of steel and exceptional marksmanship. In the 60-shot final, she tied with Chile's Francisca Crovetto Chadid at 54 hits, forcing a shoot-off for the gold medal.Despite a valiant effort, Chauhan narrowly missed out on the top prize, losing 3-4 to Chadid. However, her silver medal performance was enough to secure India's second Paris quota place in the women's skeet event."I am thrilled. There has been a lot of hard work over the years to get here. I am a bit bummed about the shoot-off, but overall, it has been very satisfying," said Chauhan after the final.Chauhan's triumph is a testament to her unwavering dedication and the support she has received from her coaches and the Indian shooting fraternity. Her achievement is a source of pride for the nation and a beacon of inspiration for aspiring shooters.

Asian Games champion Sift Kaur Samra and in-form Niraj Kumar emerged victorious in the first leg of the Olympic Selection Trials in the 50m 3 Position (3P) event at the Karni Singh Shooting Range.Sift, who placed second in the qualification round, showcased her prowess in the final, particularly in the prone round, where she gained a significant lead. Despite Ashi Chouksey's strong performance in the kneeling round, Sift's consistency and resilience in the prone and standing segments secured her the top spot with a cumulative score of 466.3 points.In the men's competition, Niraj Kumar outperformed overnight leader and quota holder Swapnil Kusale, who finished second. Niraj's consistent performance throughout the kneeling, prone, and standing stages, including a crucial recovery in the standing series, earned him the victory with a score of 462.2 points.The qualification rounds for the 10m air rifle and pistol events also took place on Wednesday. Sandeep Singh and Tilottama Sen emerged as the top performers in the men's and women's 10m rifle events, respectively. In the 10m air pistol, Paris quota holder Varun Tomar led the men's field, while Rhythm Sangwan topped the women's category.

Manu Bhaker, the Indian shooting prodigy, showcased her exceptional skills at the Women's 25m Pistol Qualification of the Olympics Selection (OST) Trials 1 in New Delhi, eclipsing the world record score by a remarkable six points. Her precision and consistency were evident throughout the competition, as she topped the qualification round with an impressive performance.Bhaker's dominance was evident in the final, where she displayed unwavering focus and accuracy. Her scores in the 10 series of five rapid-fire shots were a testament to her exceptional technique: 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5, and 5. This remarkable performance earned her a clear lead over her competitors.While Esha Singh was eliminated in the seventh series, Bhaker had already established a significant lead of six points over Rhythm Sangwan and Abhidnya Patil, who were tied at that stage. Despite Singh's strong performance in qualifying, Bhaker's superior performance in the final secured her the top spot.In the Men's 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol event, Anish Bhanwala emerged victorious, demonstrating his mastery of the discipline. He finished with 33 hits, a clear six ahead of Vijayveer Sidhu, who placed second. Adarsh Singh secured the third spot with 23 hits.Bhavesh Shekhawat, who had topped the qualifications, finished fourth with 18 hits, while Ankur Goel was the first to exit with 10 hits.Bhaker's world record-breaking performance and Bhanwala's triumph in the Men's 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol event highlight the exceptional talent and determination of India's shooting contingent. As they prepare for the upcoming Olympics, these athletes are poised to make a significant impact on the global stage.

Legendary marksman Jaspal Rana has raised concerns over the delay in naming the Indian shooting contingent for the Paris Olympics, expressing that it leaves little time for final preparations. While several countries have already announced their squads and are in the final stages of training, India has commenced a month-long trial process.The top-five ranked shooters in pistol and rifle categories will undergo four trials, with the selection for Paris to be made after that. However, this leaves precious little time for the last phase of training, as the Olympics commence on July 26.Rana criticized the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for not announcing the squad in shotgun events, despite the trials being completed. He believes that this delay puts pressure on shooters who have won quota places, while those who have not have less pressure.Rana also criticized the ongoing trials at the Karni Singh Ranges, saying he had never seen a competition where only five shooters per event were short-listed. He believes that at least three more shooters should have been included to complete the minimum requirements in a competition.He also expressed concerns about the number of trials, saying that it was too much and gave little time for rest and recovery. In the case of Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, they will have to appear in eight trials, putting added pressure on their physical and mental well-being.Rana believes that the federation could have used some of the scores in national and international competitions as trial scores, reducing the number of trials required. He also emphasized that shooters should be ready for anything, but that the current situation is not ideal for de-stressing.

Indian shooters are gearing up for the first of two training camps leading into the Olympic Selection Trials (OST), a month-long exercise that will determine India's representation in rifle and pistol events at the Paris Olympics. The OST is a first-of-its-kind event, with shooters vying for Paris spots through a scoring system that will factor in their best three scores from the trials.National rifle coach Suma Shirur has noticed a slight shift in the body language of shooters, who are accustomed to checking into national camps regularly. This time, they are "a little bit on the edge," with questions about how to prepare for an event like this. Shirur has addressed these concerns through routine discussions, interactive sessions with Olympians, and reiterating the attitude to be taken into the trials.The approach to these high-pressure trials is crucial, as the anxiety of making the Olympics team can be unnerving. Shirur emphasizes the importance of developing strategies for handling the pressure and staying in the moment. Former rifle shooter turned coach Deepali Deshpande believes the key to the right approach lies in planning, using all events in 2023 for confidence building and ensuring quotas are secured.Deshpande acknowledges the risk of shooters laying too much emphasis on the trials, potentially affecting their performance at the Olympics. However, she believes that the shooters will be ready for the challenge of peaking twice in around three months. Shirur agrees, stating that shooting doesn't require physical peaks, so the focus will be entirely on mental peaking.After the trials, shooters will need to take a break for recovery and get back to the basics before redirecting their energies into the Olympics. Shirur emphasizes the importance of rest and recovery to ensure that every selected shooter is well rested and hungry to perform at the Olympics.

Palak Gulia, the reigning Asian Games champion, has secured India's 20th Olympic quota in shooting for the 2024 Paris Games. The 18-year-old from Haryana clinched the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Rifle and Pistol) in Rio De Janeiro on Sunday.Gulia, who had won an individual gold and team silver in the 10m air pistol at the Hangzhou Asian Games, overcame a slow start in the 24-shot final. She displayed nerves of steel to climb steadily up the leaderboard and eventually score 217.6.Gulia eventually bowed out after the 22nd shot to settle for third place. Armenia's Elmira Karapetyan won gold, while Thai teenager Kamonlak Saencha clinched the silver and the second available quota place.India has now clinched a maximum of 16 Paris Olympic spots available to a country in pistol and rifle events. The country's shotgun shooters can still earn four Paris berths in men's and women's trap and skeet events when the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship (Shotgun) commences in Doha on April 19.Gulia and Sainyam had qualified for the eight-woman final on Saturday placed sixth and seventh respectively with identical scores of 578. Save Karpetyan, who had already booked her quota in earlier competitions, all other finalists could claim the available Paris berths.Both Gulia and Sainyam had a forgettable start to the final, but came back strongly even as Saencha and the experienced Veronika Major of Hungary threatened to pull away from the field in the early stages with some sublime shooting.Gulia and Sainyam were struggling to get past the fifth position before the eliminations started. However, things turned the Indians' way as Major suffered a meltdown. Ahead of the 19th shot, Gulia took a 0.6 lead over Major with Sainyam exiting in fifth position. The Hungarian could not hit the 10-ring as the Indian did it once and sealed the quota place.Karapetyan (240.7) clinched gold on the final shot as Saencha (240.5) crumbled with a poor shot which fetched her 8.6.