India Shooting Sports — Trials Winners & Manish Narwal’s Mindset (2026-01-27)
Indian shooting had two clear storylines to watch over the past 24 hours: results on the line at the National Selection Trials, and an athlete perspective piece that underlines what champions lean on when the pressure rises. One is about numbers on a scoreboard; the other is about the people and routines that make those numbers possible. Together, they paint a useful picture of where Indian shooting is right now — competitive, process-driven, and increasingly aware that performance is built as much outside the range as on it.
Key updates at a glance
- National Selection Trials (10m Air Pistol, Trial 2): Sainyam (women) and Gaurav Kumar (men) topped the finals, strengthening their case in a crowded selection race.
- Athlete focus: Paralympic shooter Manish Narwal spoke about the role of family, coaching and personal support in shaping his journey and keeping him steady under expectation.
1) National Selection Trials: why Trial 2 results matter
Selection Trials are where India’s shooting depth becomes visible. You’re not just chasing a medal — you’re competing for position within a long pipeline of athletes who can all shoot world-class scores on their day. That’s why Trial 2 results carry weight: they reward athletes who can show up again, adapt, and execute under repeat pressure.
According to a report from ANI, Sainyam and Gaurav Kumar won the women’s and men’s 10m air pistol Trial 2 finals at the National Selection Trials. Even if fans often focus only on the headline, what this really signals is a shooter’s ability to:
- handle finals-format swings (where a single low shot can change everything),
- manage rhythm and recovery between series,
- and keep decision-making clean when the match tightens.
For coaches and athletes watching from the outside, Trial results are also a reminder that “form” isn’t only about peak scores. It’s also about repeatability: traveling well, warming up well, and performing on schedule.
2) Manish Narwal’s reminder: champions don’t build alone
While Trial results are immediate, the other big takeaway from the last day is a slower, but equally important story: how elite shooters stay grounded. In an interview/feature published by Republic World, Paralympic shooter Manish Narwal discussed the support structure behind his success — including family, his guru/coach, and the influence of his elder brother.
These stories matter because shooting is a sport where outcomes are brutally honest. The target doesn’t care about your mood, your travel fatigue, or your stress. That’s why high performers tend to rely on systems that reduce variability:
- consistent training routines,
- people who keep the process stable (coach + family + mentors),
- and a mindset that absorbs both attention and expectation without letting it become noise.
For young athletes reading this, the practical lesson is simple: don’t treat support as an afterthought. Build it intentionally. If you’re lucky enough to have it, protect it. If you don’t, start by creating a small circle — one coach, one training partner, one accountable friend — and scale from there.
What to watch next
- How the next trial stages reshape rankings (especially in pistol events where depth is huge).
- Whether the winners can keep the same calm in subsequent rounds and finals formats.
- More athlete stories that reveal the “invisible” parts of performance: recovery, travel routines, and mental conditioning.
Sources
- ANI: National Selection Trials — Sainyam, Gaurav win 10m Air Pistol T2 finals: https://aninews.in/news/sports/others/national-selection-trials-sainyam-gaurav-win-10m-air-pistol-t2-finals20260126130835/
- Republic World: Manish Narwal on family/guru and his journey: https://www.republicworld.com/sports/shooting/para-shooter-manish-narwal-attributes-success-to-family-guru-highlights-elder-brother-s-influence