Manu Bhaker, Shriyanka, Goldie top shooting trials

Olympian Manu Bhaker returned to winning ways, while Odisha's Shriyanka Sadangi and Madhya Pradesh's Goldie Gujjar also found success on day five of the national selection trials (5 and 6) for Group A rifle and pistol shooters here on Wednesday.

These are the final round of trials before the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announces the squad for the World Championships in Baku in August and the Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 23.

The provisional squad of pistol and rifle shooters for the mega events is expected to be announced on June 30, the deadline set by the Indian Olympic Association for all the national sports federations to send in the entries of athletes.

The provisional squad for shotgun has already been announced for the two events. Playing at the Karni Singh Shooting range in the national capital, Manu won the women's 25m pistol T6 final with a score of 39, just one below the world record and after registering a blank in the second five-shot series.

Shriyanka took home the Women's 10m air rifle T6 title, while Goldie won the men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) T5 competition respectively. Manu first topped qualifications with a score of 591 and then registered four perfect fives and an equal number of fours in the 10 rapid-fire five-shot series final to leave senior shooter and fellow Olympian Rahi Sarnobat two points behind in second place.

Rahi's Maharashtra junior Abhidnya Ashok Patil finished third with 32. The top three followed the same sequence as in qualifications.

In the men's 3P T5 competition, Goldie Gujjar topped qualifications with a score of 586 out of a possible 600 and then logged 454.5 to win outright. Himachal’s Surya Pratap Singh Banshtu was second with 453.7, while the Navy’s Niraj Kumar was third with 443.5.

In the women's 10m air rifle T6, Odisha's Shriyanka was fourth to qualify with a score of 632.1. She led from the start of the final with a brilliant first series of 53 and never looked back. Her 253.1 was better than T5 winner Ramita’s 252.4. Nancy of Haryana registered a second consecutive third-place finish by posting 230.7. Ramita had topped the qualifications.