Arjun Babuta. (Picture Credit: AP)
The 25-year-old had an brilliant Olympic debut but was unlucky to miss out on a podium finish by the barest of margins and he revealed how hard he had taken the loss.
Indian shooter Arjun Babuta, who missed out on a podium finish in the 10m air rifle event at the Paris Olympics 2024 by a whisker, opened up on the toll the near-miss had taken on him.
Babuta, who returned to the Karni Singh Shooting range for the first time after his Olympic outing, teared up after firing eight shots during a training session recently.
The 25-year-old had an exceptional Olympic debut but was unlucky to miss out on a podium finish by the barest of margins and he revealed how hard he had taken the loss.
“I never imagined that this 4th (place) thing would happen, how much it would affect me, with what intensity it would affect me. I only realised what happened when they announced the new Olympic champion,” Babuta said.
Babuta also reflected on the ‘Paris Olympics Gold Medallist’ poster he had put up in his cupboard ahead of the event and revealed how he tore it to shreds upon his return.
“I tore it as soon as it came back and threw it in the dustbin. Now that place is empty,” he said.
Babuta missed out on a bronze medal in excruciating fashion as his final shot came in at 9.5, and the Indian had to settle for a fourth-placed finish.
“I called that shot to be a 10.7 or 10.8. You can see my jaw drop on the replays when I saw it was a 9.5. I don’t know the reason for that shot being a 9.5, neither does anyone else know nor is it being figured out in the video,” Babuta said.
“So many things happen because of destiny,” he opined.
Abhinav Bindra, the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10m Air Rifle gold medallist, offered words of consolation to Babuta following his Parisian heartbreak and urged him to get back on the horse.
“Cry today as much as you want and then laugh about it in the days and years to come.’
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