Who is Arjun Babuta? All you need to know about the Indian shooter who advanced to the 10m air rifle event final at the Paris Olympics
Arjun Babuta is an Indian shooter who has been part of the Indian national shooting team since 2016. The 28-year-old athlete showcased his talent and finished seventh in the qualification round at the Paris Olympics, advancing to the final.
In the qualification rounds, Arjun recorded scores of 105.7, 104.9, 105.5, 105.4, 104.0, and 104.6 to make a total of 630.1 points. This performance earned him a spot in the final, where the top eight shooters will compete for medals.
To pursue a career in shooting, Arjun and his father, Neeraj Babuta, consulted Indian Olympic shooter Abhinav Bindra for guidance in Chandigarh, who introduced them to his coach, Colonel J S Dhillon.
Arjun started training in the 10-meter air rifle category under the guidance of coach Colonel J S Dhillon. Arjun's hard work paid off when he won his first medal at the Chandigarh State Shooting Championship in 2013.
At the ISSF Junior World Cup 2016, Arjun won a gold medal and a bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event. In 2017, he won a silver medal at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship held in Japan.
Arjun Babuta added another silver to his tally in the 27th Meeting of Shooting Hopes 2017 international junior competition. And again in 2018, he secured a bronze medal in ISSF Junior World Cup 2018 held in Sydney.
How did Arjun Babuta qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024?
Arjun Babuta came into the limelight when he won a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Shooting Championship in the 10-meter air rifle event held in Changwon, which eventually earned him a spot for the Paris Olympics 2024. Arjun topped the qualification round with a recorded score of 633.4.
In the final round, he scored 251.2, finishing just behind China's Sheng Lihao, who scored 252.1. Along with teammates Divyansh Singh Panwar and Hriday Hazarika, Arjun also helped the Indian shooting team win a gold medal in the men's 10m air rifle event with a combined score of 1892.4.