Himanshu Dhillon wins 10m air rifle on final shot at T4 trials in Dehradun
Synopsis
With the Asian Games squad on the line, Dehradun's T4 trials delivered a nail-biter: Himanshu Dhillon needed a 10.6 on his very last shot to pip Parth Rakesh Mane by 0.2 in the men's air rifle final. Three golds were decided on Sunday — and the national rankings shifted enough to reshape the race for India's 30-shooter Asian Games team.
Key Takeaways
Himanshu Dhillon (Haryana) won the men's 10m air rifle final with 252.2 , edging Parth Rakesh Mane by the last shot at the T4 trials in Dehradun .
Deeksha Vaishya (Uttar Pradesh) claimed the women's air rifle title with 252.7 , winning by 1.2 over Ashi Chouksey.
Suraj Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) won the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol final with a score of 29 .
In updated national rankings, Sonam Maskar rose to second in women's air rifle; Omkar Singh moved to second in men's RFP.
The trials determine India's Rifle and Pistol squads for the Asian Games , where 30 shooters will contest 28 events .
Himanshu Dhillon of Haryana edged out Parth Rakesh Mane of Maharashtra by the narrowest of margins on the final shot of the men's 10m air rifle event, as the first finals of the T4 national selection trials for Rifle and Pistol shooters got underway at the Trishul Shooting Range, Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun, on Sunday, 7 June. Uttar Pradesh's Deeksha Vaishya and Madhya Pradesh's Suraj Sharma also claimed victories in their respective finals on the day.
Himanshu's last-shot thriller
Heading into the 24th and final shot of the men's air rifle final, Himanshu trailed Parth by 0.2 points. A clutch 10.6 from Himanshu against Parth's 10.3 on the closing shot sealed the contest, with Himanshu finishing on 252.2. Delhi's Parth Makhija claimed the bronze medal. Notably, in the national rankings that followed the final, Parth Rakesh Mane still took the top spot, with Himanshu placed second.
Deeksha dominates women's air rifle
In the women's 10m air rifle final, Deeksha Vaishya established her lead from the second five-shot series and held firm despite a competitive field. She finished with a score of 252.7, winning by a margin of 1.2 over Ashi Chouksey. Railways' Sonam Uttam Maskar took bronze and benefitted most in the updated national rankings, climbing to second place behind Elavenil Valarivan.
Suraj Sharma takes rapid-fire pistol title
The third final of the day saw Suraj Sharma claim the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) title with a score of 29. Ankur Goel of Uttarakhand finished second with 27 hits, while Bhavesh Shekhawat took third with 25 hits. In the domestic men's RFP national rankings, Navy veteran Omkar Singh moved up to second behind Anish following the day's results.
Asian Games stakes
The T4 trials carry significant weight as selection events for the upcoming Asian Games, where 15 men and 15 women shooters will compete across 28 shooting events. The 12-member Shotgun team has already been announced; the Rifle and Pistol squads will be finalised after the conclusion of these trials. With national rankings shifting after every final, the competition for the remaining spots is set to intensify in the rounds ahead.
Point of View
Not podium finishes, decide who boards the plane to the Asian Games. The fact that Parth Rakesh Mane finished second in the final yet topped the national rankings underlines how selection-trial arithmetic can be crueller than a shoot-off. With the Shotgun squad already locked in and Rifle/Pistol spots still open, every decimal point from here will be scrutinised. The real pressure test is whether India's depth in air rifle — demonstrated by Elavenil Valarivan's continued dominance — translates into a medal haul at the Games, or whether the selection churn disrupts form at the worst possible time.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the T4 national selection trials for Rifle and Pistol?
The T4 trials are a national-level shooting competition used to select India's Rifle and Pistol squads for the Asian Games. They are held at the Trishul Shooting Range, Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun, and results feed into national rankings that determine final team composition.
How did Himanshu Dhillon win the men's 10m air rifle final?
Himanshu Dhillon trailed Parth Rakesh Mane by 0.2 points going into the 24th and final shot. He scored 10.6 against Mane's 10.3 on the last shot to win with a total of 252.2, claiming victory by the narrowest possible margin.
Who won the women's air rifle and men's rapid-fire pistol finals?
Deeksha Vaishya of Uttar Pradesh won the women's 10m air rifle final with 252.7, beating Ashi Chouksey by 1.2 points. Suraj Sharma of Madhya Pradesh won the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol final with a score of 29 hits.
How do the T4 trials affect Asian Games selection?
India will send 15 men and 15 women shooters to the Asian Games across 28 shooting events. The Rifle and Pistol team will be announced after the T4 trials conclude, making every final a direct audition for a Games berth.
How did national rankings change after Sunday's finals?
Sonam Uttam Maskar moved up to second in the women's air rifle national rankings behind Elavenil Valarivan, while Navy veteran Omkar Singh climbed to second in the men's rapid-fire pistol rankings behind Anish following the day's results.
