Mandrem (Goa), 12 November: Around 1,311 shooters will compete in the 41st Maharashtra State Shooting Championship 2026 in rifle and pistol events from 13 to 19 November, with places in the Maharashtra team for the 69th National Shooting Championship Competition at stake.
The championship, organised by the Maharashtra Rifle Association (MRA), is being held outside Maharashtra for the first time.
Why the championship is in Goa
The organisers said the exceptionally large number of entries required a range with enough capacity to run the competition efficiently. The Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex range at Balewadi, Pune, which could host an event of this size, is being renovated, and no other range in the state could accommodate the field. The competition was therefore moved to Goa.
Entries and events
The pistol section has 36 events with 1,244 entries, while the rifle section has 25 events with 1,003 entries. The event-wise entries are: 10m pistol 853, 25m pistol 299, 50m pistol 92, 10m rifle 819, 50m rifle prone 133 and 50m rifle three positions 51.
Finals will be held in the Olympic disciplines: 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle for senior, junior and youth categories, 50m rifle three positions for men and women, and 25m sports pistol for women. ISSF-licensed juries will supervise the competition.
Road to the National Championships
Scores from the championship will be used to pick the Maharashtra team for the 69th National Shooting Championship Competition, to be held in Bhopal and Pune. All competitors must undergo equipment control, and equipment authenticated in Goa will also be valid for the National Championships.
The rifle and pistol event follows the state shotgun championship held in Pune earlier this month. Read how the shotgun events ended and more shooting news.
