Karnataka’s Tilottama Sen has been crowned national champion in the women’s 50-metre rifle three positions event at the National Shooting Championships, held today at the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal.
Karnataka’s Tilottama Sen achieved a significant milestone at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) in Bhopal (December 2025), securing her first senior national title in the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event.

This victory is particularly noteworthy as she has only been training in this discipline for about a year, having transitioned from her primary event, the 10m Air Rifle.

Performance Highlights

  • Gold Medal (Senior): She clinched the top spot with a score of 466.9 in the final, finishing four points ahead of Kerala’s Vidarsa K. Vinod (462.9).

  • Qualification Dominance: Tilottama topped the qualification round with a score of 591-29x, demonstrating remarkable consistency across the kneeling, prone, and standing positions.

  • Junior Success: While she placed 6th in the individual junior final, she led the Karnataka team (alongside Anushka H. Thokur and Vanshika Lahoria) to a Gold medal in the Junior Women’s 50m Rifle 3P team event

  • Youth Category: She also secured the Gold medal in the Youth category of the 50m Rifle 3P.

Context of the Win

Tilottama’s shift to the 50m Rifle 3P was born out of a “competitive reset” after narrowly missing a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic team for the 10m Air Rifle. Her coach, Manoj Kumar, suggested the switch to help her regain focus and enjoy the sport again

Continued Momentum in 2026

Following her National Championship success, she has dominated the 2026 National Selection Trials

  • T1, T2, and T3 Trials: She won three consecutive 50m Rifle 3P finals in early 2026.

  • Dual Discipline: In January 2026, she also won the 10m Air Rifle (Trial 1) gold, proving her versatility across both small-bore and air rifle events.

Currently aged 18, the Bengaluru-based shooter is now a key contender for the upcoming Asian Games and the LA 2028 Olympic cycle.

The 17-year-old, who is the youngest Indian shooter to secure a Paris Olympics quota place for the country, topped the podium with a score of 466.9. Kerala’s Vidarsa K. Vinod won the silver medal with 462.9, while Railways’ rifle stalwart Ayonika Paul claimed bronze after scoring 451.8.
Earlier, Tilottama had topped the qualification round with a score of 591, showing her consistency across the standing, kneeling and prone positions.