National Games
National Games 2025: Narmada Raju falls just short of world record in women's 10m air rifle
Anish Bhanwala won the gold medal in men's 25 rapid fire pistol.

Narmada Raju (center), along with Arya Rajesh Borse (left), and Ramita Jindal (right), winners of the women's 10m air rifle. (Photo Credit: Abhishek Mishra/The Bridge)
There was a loud gasp at the Trishool Shooting Range in Dehradun when the final shot was made and the women's 10m air rifle final scores displayed on Thursday.
The event went down to the wire and Narmada Raju, the Tamil Nadu shooter raised eyebrows. She shot a total of 254.4 – just 0.1 short of the world record score – to clinch the gold medal.
Third time was the lucky charm for the 23-year-old shooter, having missed out on a medal in her previous two National Games appearances.
Granted, had she gone past that number, it still wouldn't have counted since scores at the national level won't be counted for world records, but it still takes nothing away from her performance.
Going up against Olympian Ramita Jindal, who many considered a favorite, Narmada produced a performance of the age.
"My heart rate was high," said a relieved Narmada after the match, speaking to the media.
"It was a good match. It was a tough final. Everyone fought really well," she added.
Interestingly, she had no idea about the fact that she was very close to the world record.
"All I had in my mind was that I have to score, no matter how big the difference is, the shot should be good," she said, recalling her final thoughts before the last shot that clinched her the gold.
Meanwhile, a little-known Arya Rajesh Borse from Maharashtra eclipsed Jindal to take home the silver with a score of 252.5
Jindal had to settle for a bronze with a score of 230.4.
A late entrant making a mark
Although a gold medal winner, Narmada was humble in her assessment of her performances of late, stating she is still in her formative years, especially at the international level.
"I am still gaining experience when it comes to internationals, right now I am getting a stronghold here (at the national level)."
Narmada already has a gold medal from the 2023 Cairo ISSF World Cup, and a bronze medal from the 2023 Bhopal ISSF World Cup, both in the mixed team 10m air rifle.
She also spoke about the increased competition in shooting around the world, and in India, with the margin for error getting lower and lower.
"It [competition in shooting] is not just in India. It is throughout the world. If you see, the averages have increased, and the scores have increased. It is a strong field and India has opportunities to win medals [in global events]," she said.
Anish Bhanwalla continues to dominate
Olympian Anish Bhanwala was at his best today, winning the gold medal in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event.
With a score of 31/50, he bagged the gold, followed by Gurpreet Singh who could only manage 28/50. Vijayveer Sidhu took home the bronze with a score of 26/45.
This is the third medal for Anish at the National Games, following his gold from the 2022 National Games in Gujrat and silver at the 2023 National Games at Goa.
"I am very happy. This is my second National Games gold medal, and my first medal since the Paris Olympics. It is a good start and I'm looking forward for the upcoming international competitions," said an elated Anish, to The Bridge.
He also spoke about the uncertainty looming around rapid fire pistol's future in the Olympics.
Sharing his opinion on the issue, he said, "Of course, I voted for rapid fire pistol to continue at the Olympics."
"It [Rapid fire pistol] is there from the first edition of Olympics in 1896 and we already have so many precision events in shooting. It is the only fast, dynamic event."