At the 38th National Games in Dehradun, Narmada Nithin Raju delivered an outstanding performance in the women’s 10m air rifle event, securing the gold medal while setting a new national record. Representing Tamil Nadu, Narmada finished with a score of 254.4, surpassing the previous national mark of 252.9, set by Olympian Apurvi Chandela in 2019. Her performance was nothing short of remarkable, as she maintained a consistent high level of shooting throughout the final, including achieving the maximum score of 10.9 on three occasions. Despite fierce competition from top shooters like Asian Games medallist Ramita Jindal and Olympian Elavenil Valarivan, Narmada’s flawless execution allowed her to not only win but also come within a fraction of a point of the world record, which stands at 254.5.

The event saw intense rivalry between some of India’s top marksmen, but Narmada’s composure and control under pressure were key to her victory. Her performance in the qualification round had placed her third, but in the final, she shot with impressive consistency, never dipping below a score of 10 in any of her 24 shots. Maharashtra’s Arya Borse, with a score of 252.5, had a strong outing and would have claimed the top podium finish on most days, but Narmada’s historic score proved to be unbeatable. Ramita Jindal, who topped the qualification round with a score of 634.9, fought back in the final but had to settle for the bronze, showcasing the high level of competition among the participants.

In the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event, Haryana’s Anish Bhanwala claimed gold with a score of 31 hits, beating silver medallist Gurpreet Singh by three hits. This victory was especially meaningful for Bhanwala, who was returning to competition after a lengthy break and had previously won a gold at the National Games in Ahmedabad. His performance in Dehradun was a strong statement of his skill and resilience. With 364 shooters from 29 teams competing in the National Games, the shooting events became a focal point of the Games, with many top athletes from the Paris Olympics, except for double-medallist Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, taking part. The competition not only highlighted the prowess of Indian shooters but also provided valuable insight into the future of shooting sports in the country.