Arjun Babuta at Paris Olympics 2024: Indian Shooter Comes Fourth In 10m Air Rifle Final - All You Need to Know About Him

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Paris Olympics 2024: Indian shooter Arjun Babuta came tantalisingly close to winning the second medal for the country in shooting but missed it by a whisker as he finished fourth in the 10-meter air rifle final on Monday (July 29).

Arjun shot a poor 9.5 under pressure in his final attempt to finish fourth while China's Sheng Lihao, Victor Lindgren of Sweden and Croatia's Miran Miricic progressed to the medal rounds. Miricic won bronze, Lindgren bagged silver and Lihao clinched the yellow metal.

Babuta, the talented 25-year-old shooter who specialises in the 10-meter air rifle events, hails from Fazilka, Punjab, and currently resides in Chandigarh. His performance in the final will be remembered for a long time and the learnings from here will make him a better athlete in the years to come.

During the 2023 Asian Shooting Championships held in Changwon, Arjun secured a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle event, which granted India a quota spot for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was one of the two shooters in the Indian team in the men's 10m air rifle team. He also competed in the 10m air rifle mixed team with Ramita Jindal.

Arjun Babuta Early Life and Education

Arjun was born on January 24, 1999, in Fazilka, Punjab. He did his schooling at the St Joseph's Senior Secondary School in Sector 44D, Chandigarh. He completed his education with a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar.

He shifted to Chandigarh with his family in 2011, which likely provided him with better opportunities for both his education and his shooting career. During his time in Chandigarh, he attended DAV College, where he was inspired by Neeraj Chopra, a senior at the institution.

Arjun Babuta Personal Life

Arjun began his shooting journey at the age of 12, encouraged by his father to pursue a career in shooting sports. His father chose the name Arjun for him, inspired by the character from the Mahabharatha, with the hope that he would achieve excellence in sports.

In the early stages of his career, Arjun received training from Lt Col JS Dhillon, who was previously the coach of Abhinav Bindra. He achieved his first medal in shooting at the Chandigarh State Shooting Championship in 2013. In 2017, Arjun's father voluntarily retired from his position as a station master with Indian Railways to dedicate his full attention to supporting his son's shooting career.

Arjun Babuta Shooting Career

Arjun has been a member of the Indian national shooting team since 2016. He has represented India at the ISSF Junior World Cup in 2016 held in Suhl, the ISSF Junior World Cup in 2016 in Gabala, the ISSF Junior World Championship in 2017 in Suhl, and the ISSF Junior World Cup in 2018 in Sydney.

He won both a gold and a bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle event at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2016 in Gabala. He also claimed a silver medal during the 27th Meeting of Shooting Hopes 2017 international junior competition in Plzen, Czech Republic.

He also earned a silver medal at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship in Wako City, Japan in 2017 and a bronze medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2018 in Sydney.