National selection trials: Parul Kumar upstages Sanjeev Rajput

After qualifying with a modest 1160, Parul gathered 458.9 points in the 45-shot final, to finish 2.2 points ahead of Sanjeev Rajput.

Sanjeev Rajput, who won the silver medal at 2018 Asian Games, finished second in the selection trials.

Parul Kumar beat Asian Games silver medallist Sanjeev Rajput by 2.2 points to top the men' s rifle 3-position event in the shooting National selection trials at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Thursday. After qualifying with a modest 1160, Parul gathered 458.9 points in the 45-shot final, to finish ahead of World Cup gold medallist Sanjeev, and Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar, who won the junior event with a much better fare in the final. Olympian Chain Singh topped qualification with an impressive 1176, and opted to skip the final.

In centre fire pistol, Yogesh Singh shot 585 and beat Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar by one point, while Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anish Bhanwala was pushed to the third spot.

Vijayveer Sidhu was outstanding in the junior men’s sports pistol as he topped with 591, seven points ahead of Anish Bhanwala.

The results:

25m centre fire pistol:Men: 1. Yogesh Singh 585; 2. Vijay Kumar 584; 3. Anish Bhanwala 582. 25m sports pistol:Junior men: 1. Vijayveer Sidhu 591; 2. Anish Bhanwala 584; 3. Adarsh Singh 581. 50m rifle 3-position:Men: 1. Parul Kumar 458.9 (1160); 2. Sanjeev Rajput 456.7 (1165); 3. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar 443.6 (1163). Junior men: 1. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar 459.4 (1163); 2. Fateh Singh Dhillon 451.5 (1147); 3. Harshit Binjwa 439.6 (1158).