Rahi Sarnobat tops women's 25m pistol T4 finals; Manu Bhaker takes silver
Synopsis
Rahi Sarnobat outshot Manu Bhaker in the women's 25m pistol T4 finals at Dehradun, finishing with 37 hits to Bhaker's 35 — a result that directly shapes India's Asian Games pistol squad for Aichi-Nagoya. Notably, qualification leader Chinki Yadav collapsed to eighth in the final, while Esha Singh leads national rankings without even competing.
Key Takeaways
Rahi Sarnobat won the women's 25m pistol T4 finals with 37 hits at Trishul Shooting Range, Dehradun on 8 June .
Manu Bhaker (two-time Olympic medallist) finished second with 35 hits ; Divya T.S. (Karnataka) took bronze with 29 hits .
Chinki Yadav led qualifiers with 586-22x but finished last in the final with 9 hits .
Esha Singh leads national rankings despite not competing, having won gold at ISSF World Cup 2026 Munich .
15 women shooters will represent India across 28 events at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya ; rifle and pistol squads to be finalised after ongoing trials.
Rahi Sarnobat, former Asian Games champion, claimed the top position in the women's 25m pistol T4 finals at the National Selection Trials 4 for Group A Rifle and Pistol shooters on Monday, 8 June, held at the Trishul Shooting Range, Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun. Sarnobat finished with 37 hits, comfortably ahead of the field in a final that featured several of India's top pistol shooters.
Final Standings
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker earned silver with 35 hits, while Karnataka's Divya T.S. claimed bronze with 29 hits. Tamil Nadu's Niveditha V. Nair finished fourth with 24 hits, followed by Olympian Rhythm Sangwan in fifth with 22 hits. Punjab's Arshdeep Kaur secured sixth with 18 hits, Maharashtra's Abhidnya Ashok Patil seventh with 13 hits, and Madhya Pradesh's Chinki Yadav — who had led qualifiers with a score of 586-22x — ended eighth with just 9 hits in the final.
Qualification Round Highlights
In qualification, Manu Bhaker had topped the standings with a score of 584-16x, with Arshdeep Kaur and Rahi Sarnobat finishing third and fourth on 579-20x and 579-18x respectively. Niveditha V. Nair qualified fifth with 579-12x. Rhythm Sangwan and Divya T.S. both scored 578-16x, with Sangwan ranked higher on countback. Abhidnya Patil secured the last qualifying spot with 576-15x.
Impact on National Rankings
The results have reshuffled the national rankings. World record holder and ISSF World Cup 2026 Munich gold medallist Esha Singh retained the top spot despite not competing in the trials. Manu Bhaker holds second. Rahi Sarnobat climbed to third, displacing Divya T.S. to fourth. Rhythm Sangwan stays fifth, while Chinki Yadav rose from ninth to sixth on the back of her strong qualification showing.
Asian Games Selection at Stake
The T4 trials carry significant weight — 15 men and 15 women shooters will represent India across 28 shooting events at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this year. The 12-member shotgun squad has already been finalised; the rifle and pistol teams will be confirmed after the ongoing trials conclude. Action resumes on Tuesday with four finals scheduled, including the men's and women's 10m air pistol events and the men's and women's 50m rifle 3-position competitions.
Point of View
Which rewards consistency over a single peak performance, has exposed this gap before. More broadly, Esha Singh holding the national rankings summit without competing reflects how dominant her Munich form was — and sets up a compelling selection conversation for Aichi-Nagoya. The real question for selectors is whether trial rankings alone will determine the Asian Games squad, or whether recent international results carry additional weight.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the women's 25m pistol T4 finals at Dehradun?
Rahi Sarnobat won the women's 25m pistol T4 finals at the National Selection Trials 4 in Dehradun on 8 June, finishing with 37 hits. Manu Bhaker took silver with 35 hits and Divya T.S. claimed bronze with 29 hits.
How does this result affect India's Asian Games shooting squad?
The T4 trials are a key selection event for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where 15 women shooters will compete across 28 events. The rifle and pistol squads will be finalised after the ongoing trials are completed.
Where does Manu Bhaker stand in the national rankings after the T4 finals?
Manu Bhaker remains in second place in the national rankings. World record holder Esha Singh retains the top spot despite not competing in the trials, having won gold at the ISSF World Cup 2026 in Munich.
Why did Chinki Yadav finish last despite leading the qualifiers?
Chinki Yadav led the qualification round with a score of 586-22x but finished eighth in the final with only 9 hits. The source does not provide a specific reason for the sharp drop in performance.
What events are scheduled next at the National Selection Trials 4?
Four finals are scheduled for Tuesday, including the men's and women's 10m air pistol events and the men's and women's 50m rifle 3-position competitions at the Trishul Shooting Range in Dehradun.
