Arjun Babuta has been one of the finest shooters in India. He missed the bronze in the finals of the men’s 10m air rifle in the Paris Olympics 2024. The 25-year-old joined the list of the athletes who finished fourth in the multinational event. On Saturday, he opened up on the moment of losing the Olympic medal. He felt as if he had lost someone very close.
The Chandigarh-born said the feeling could not be explained in words. India only won 6 medals in Paris with 5 bronze and 1 silver. However, the numbers could have been different if all the fourth-placed finished athletes got onto the podium. But one bad shot of 9.5 on the bronze medal-deciding shot cost him that medal. The pressure of the occasion got to him at the worst possible time.
Babuta has faced numerous challenges, the majority of which have been health-related, forcing him to take a three-year hiatus from shooting (2018-2020) due to back problems. It is one of the most serious difficulties that shooters experience is back pain. It takes a lot of punishment because of the awkward stance of the shooters. He explained every bit of the sorrow of missing out on a medal.
Arjun Babuta cried at the Paris Olympics
Is India’s poor sports infrastructure to be blamed for such injuries? India except for cricket has a fair infrastructure in other sports. The athletes get very little attention during their injuries until they have reached certain heights or achieved something with their brilliance. Over the years it has been a process that is ongoing and the athletes suffer for the same as well.
The rifle marksman said, “I did put in the effort (in the run-up to Paris) and I went numb the moment I looked at the screen, which showed I had finished fourth. It felt like I lost somebody very close to me in my life. I didn’t know how to react, was crying immediately… and was laughing immediately. I was again crying while talking. So, I didn’t know what to do about it.”
