Paris, July 29, 2024 – Young Indian shooter Arjun Babuta joins a storied list of Indian athletes who have come agonizingly close to Olympic glory, securing a fourth-place finish in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Competing at the Châteauroux shooting range, Babuta’s final shot of 9.5 points left him just shy of a podium finish.
Babuta’s journey to the finals was impressive. He scored 630.1 points in the qualification round, placing seventh. His fellow countryman, Sandeep Singh, also participated in the event but did not advance, finishing 12th with a score of 629.3 points. This Olympics marked Babuta’s debut, and he had already faced disappointment in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, where he and his partner Ramita Jindal finished sixth.
Arjun Babuta’s near-miss places him amongst a list of notable Indian athletes who have faced similar heartbreaks. This list includes legendary athletes such as Milkha Singh, who missed a bronze in the 400m final at Rome 1960, and PT Usha, who missed a bronze by 1/100th of a second in the 400m hurdles at Los Angeles 1984. Other notable near-misses include Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in men’s doubles tennis at Athens 2004, Joydeep Karmakar in the 50m rifle prone event at London 2012, and Dipa Karmakar in the women’s vault at Rio 2016.
Despite the heartbreak, Babuta’s performance at Paris 2024 highlights the potential and resilience of Indian athletes on the world stage.
