Arjun Babuta, a rising star in Indian shooting, stole the spotlight on day seven of the ongoing Olympic Selection Trials (OST) one and two for Rifle and Pistol. His extraordinary performance culminated in a world record-breaking score of 254.0 in the OST T1 final for men’s 10M Air Rifle. This remarkable achievement surpassed the previous record set by his teammate, Divyansh Singh Panwar, at the Cairo World Cup earlier this year. Babuta’s exceptional shooting display featured two perfect 10.9s and 13 shots over 10.6, solidifying his triumph with a 2.8-point margin over 2022 world champion, Rudrankksh Patil.
Nancy emerged victorious in the women’s 10M Air Rifle OST T1 final, mirroring Babuta’s dominance with a convincing win. Her score of 253.4 fell just short of the world record by 0.6 points, but it was more than enough to secure a comfortable lead over quota holder, Mehuli Ghosh, by 0.7 points. Olympian Elavenil Valarivan finished third.
Paris quota holder, Varun Tomar, continued his winning streak by capturing the men’s 10M Air Pistol final with a score of 244.1. Ravinder Singh trailed Tomar by 4.1 points in second place, while Sarabjot Singh, another Paris quota holder, secured third place with a score of 217.4.
Rhythm Sangwan, one of the few shooters to qualify for both the Air Pistol and Sport Pistol trials, redeemed herself from her earlier disappointments in the Sport Pistol trials. She emerged as the overall leader in the Air Pistol event, demonstrating her versatility and skill. After topping the qualifications with a score of 578, she maintained her dominance throughout the final, securing the highest podium points. Her score of 243.5 provided a significant 5.7-point advantage over second-place finisher, Manu Bhaker. Reigning Asian Games champion, Palak, settled for third place.
Besides the impressive performances in the finals, the day also witnessed the qualification round for the men’s and women’s 50M Rifle 3 Positions OST T2. Olympians Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anjum Moudgil emerged as the top scorers. Tomar showcased his exceptional skills by posting a remarkable score of 595, creating an eight-point gap between him and his closest rival. Moudgil also displayed her prowess, securing a score of 589 to lead the women’s category.
These outstanding performances at the Olympic Selection Trials are a testament to the depth of talent within the Indian shooting contingent. As they gear up for the upcoming Olympics, these athletes are poised to represent India with distinction and bring home medals.
