National Games 2025 Shooting: Paris Olympian Prithviraj Tondaiman wins gold in 50 Targets Trap event

Paris Olympian Prithviraj Tondaiman secured the gold medal in the men’s 50 Targets Trap event at the National Games 2025 on Sunday, February 9. The Tamil Nadu shooter delivered a composed performance in the final, finishing with 42 points to claim the top spot in the men's trap event at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand.

Rajasthan’s Ali Aman Elahi put up a strong fight but fell just short, finishing with 41 points to settle for silver. Uttarakhand’s Aryanvansh Tyagi secured bronze with 29 points.

The competition featured 30 shooters, with the top six qualifying for the final. Tondaiman led the qualification round with an impressive 121 points, followed by Kynan Chenai of Telangana (120 points) and Aryanvansh Tyagi (119 points). Karan from SSCB (118+1) and Zoravar Singh from Punjab (118+0) also made it through, while Ali Aman Elahi (115 points) completed the list of finalists.

Tondaiman, who had a disappointing campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he finished 21st in a 30-man qualification field, bounced back strongly. He was also part of India’s gold-winning men’s trap team at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, along with Darius Kynan Chenai and Zoravar Singh Sandhu.

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Neeru Dhanda takes gold in Women’s 50 Targets Trap event

In the women’s 50 Targets Trap event at the National Games 2025, Neeru Dhanda of Madhya Pradesh clinched gold with 43 points, narrowly edging out Delhi’s Kirti Gupta, who finished with 42 points. Haryana’s Aashima Ahlawat claimed the bronze medal with 32 points.

A total of 18 shooters competed in the women’s event, with Neeru Dhanda leading the qualification round with 115 points. Haryana’s Aashima Ahlawat (111+1 points) and Bihar’s Shreyasi Singh (107+2 points) followed closely. Delhi’s Kirti Gupta (107+2 points), SSCB’s Preeti Rajak (107+1 points), and Punjab’s Rajeshwari Kumari (106 points) completed the list of finalists.