Shooter Arjun Babuta has expressed his growing confidence in winning medals at major competitions after fourth place at the Paris Olympics. Babuta believes he has it in him and is strong enough to win medals at top levels.
The marksman aims to leverage this newfound self-belief to achieve significant successes in future events as he now looks forward to the ISSF World Cup Final 2024 with renewed determination, hoping to turn his aspirations into reality.
The Indian shooters are set to compete at the ISSF World Cup Final 2024, starting Tuesday, October 15, in New Delhi. The events will be held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range and will include rifle, pistol, and shotgun categories.
Babuta will compete in the men's 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup Final 2024.
Reflecting on his experience at the Paris Olympics, Babuta shared, "I would say like the pressure was extreme (Paris Olympics), excitement and the rush was extreme in the Olympic final and I could perform to my best, but I missed it by just a small miss and it gave me a lot of confidence that I have it in me. I am very strong to win medals at bigger levels so in future, it will help me a lot."
Babuta is gearing up for the ISSF World Cup final with a strong preparation strategy shaped by his past experiences and adaptive approach. He plans to utilise upcoming tournaments to develop the best strategy for the next Olympics.
He stated, "I am trying to just focus on the next competition that I have on my hand and eventually, I will rise up to that Olympic step-by-step definitely, it will help me every match will help me, but I might skip a few. I might compete in few with different approaches, so yeah, I’m just trying to figure out the best strategy that will help me in the next Olympics."
Indian shooters like Divyansh Singh Panwar, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Rhythm Sangwan, and Ganemat Sekhon have qualified based on their rankings. Other team members secured participation through the host country quota, determined by domestic rankings.
Experienced shooters, including two-time Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Rio 2016 Olympian Chain Singh, and Tokyo 2020 participant Divyansh Singh Panwar, are also part of the field.
Arjun, advising fellow shooters, said, "Just focus on the process and enjoy the game."
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