Sift Kaur Samra, Niraj Kumar Triumph in Olympic Selection Trials
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.