New Delhi, Dec 1 (NationPress) The 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) commenced today at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, showcasing a remarkable participation of over 16,000 shooters across various categories in rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines. The NSCC marks the onset of a fresh season for Indian shooting, with the Group 5 Trap qualifiers in the Shotgun category being the first to take their shots.

In comparison, the previous 67th NSCC saw 13,522 shooters qualifying. All elite Indian shooters are competing this year, with a schedule spanning one month, which has been strategically planned to align with the ISSF World Cup Finals in Doha, occurring from December 4 to 9, where 15 Indian athletes are set to represent the nation.

The Shotgun events will take place at the Karni Singh Ranges, while the Rifle events are set to be hosted at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal.

Pistol competitions will kick off on December 11 and run until January 4, 2026, while Rifle events will also start on December 11 and wrap up on January 2, 2026. The Shotgun nationals will take place throughout December, concluding on January 5, 2026.

Competitions will be held in seven categories, including Super Masters (70 years and above), Senior Masters (60-70 years), Masters (45-60 years), Seniors (Open), Juniors (21 years), Youth (19 years or before), and Sub-Youth (16 years or before) across all three disciplines. Regardless of the category or categories they have entered, each athlete is permitted to shoot only once during the competition, but their scores will be counted towards any other categories they have registered for. There will also be special categories for Para-athletes and Deaf athletes.

Athletes who participated in the 66th and 67th NSCC, Zonal Championships 2025, 34th G.V Mavlankar Shooting Championship 2025, India Open Competitions 2025, and 27th All India Kumar Surendra Singh Shooting Championships 2025, and have achieved qualifying scores per Rule 17.6 of NRAI Match Book, are eligible for the 68th NSCC.

All top shooters from across the country will participate in the nationals, with their scores contributing to the selection of the Indian team for the 2026 international season. A total of 40 teams will compete at the nationals, representing nearly all states and union territories, as well as teams from the armed forces and public institutions like ONGC and the Railways.

The finals for the Women and Junior Women Skeet events will occur on December 13, with the Men and Junior Men finals scheduled for December 16. Mixed team events for both seniors and juniors will take place on December 17.

In the Trap category, finals for Women, Junior Women, and Junior Men will be conducted on December 29, while the Men’s final is set for January 2, 2026. The mixed team final will happen on January 3, 2026, and the Shotgun events will conclude on January 5, 2026, with the double trap events.

Pistol events will commence on December 11 with qualification rounds for the 10m Air Pistol and 25m Sports events. The final for the 25m Pistol event is scheduled for December 15, and the 10m Air Pistol finals will take place on December 18.

Qualification for the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men’s event begins on December 23, with finals on December 26. Qualification rounds for the men’s 10m Air Pistol will start on December 20 and continue until January 4, 2026, with finals on the same day.

The 10m Mixed Team finals will occur on December 19. Only Olympic events will have finals, while non-Olympic medals will be decided based on qualification rounds.

Rifle Nationals will begin in Bhopal on December 11, starting with qualification rounds for the men’s 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men events. The finals for the 50m Rifle 3P will take place on December 16, and the 10m Air Rifle finals will be held on December 22, following an extensive qualifying round with 51 relays.

Mixed team finals are set for December 23. Qualification rounds for the 50m Rifle 3P Women will begin on December 24, and the 10m Air Rifle Women event will start on Christmas Day. The finals for the 50m 3P will occur on December 27, followed by finals for the 10m Rifle Women on January 2, 2026.