India's shooting woes persist as Sarabjot and Arjun miss final cut in Olympics 10m Air Pistol event
Paris: India's shooting team faced a challenging day at the Paris Olympics as both Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema fell short of advancing to the final round of the men's 10m air pistol competition. In a field of 33 shooters, only the top eight qualified for the medal round, but neither Indian shooter made the cut.
Cheema, aged 18, ended the qualification round in 18th place with a score of 574, including 17x (X-ring shots). Sarabjot Singh, on the other hand, finished in 9th place with a total score of 577 and 16x. Despite their efforts, they were unable to secure a spot in the top eight.
The qualification round for the 10m air pistol event involves 60 shots over 75 minutes. The competition is fierce, with only a fraction of the field advancing to the medal round. After the initial series of shots, Cheema was in 12th place with a score of 96 points, while Sarabjot was positioned 28th with 94 points.
In the second series, both shooters demonstrated improvement. Cheema climbed to 10th place after scoring 97 points, and Sarabjot also moved up to 10th place with a similar score. However, the third series saw a shift in their standings. Sarabjot dropped to 17th place despite scoring 96 points in this series, while Cheema continued his upward trajectory, moving to 4th place.
The fourth series presented another turning point. Sarabjot surged into the top eight, reaching 3rd place with a full series of perfect 10-point shots. Conversely, Cheema’s performance in this series, scoring 94 points, left him outside the top eight in 14th place.
The final two series were crucial for both shooters. Cheema’s score of 93 in the fifth series saw him fall to 21st place, while Sarabjot’s 93 in the same series dropped him to 12th place. Both Indian shooters required exceptional performances in the last series to advance. Ultimately, Cheema finished 18th with a total score of 574-17x, while Sarabjot ended up in 9th place with 577-16x, narrowly missing the final round.
Earlier on the same day, India’s shooting campaign in the 10m air rifle mixed team event also faced disappointment. Two Indian pairs, Elavenil Valarivan with Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta with Ramita Jindal, competed in the qualifiers. Out of 28 teams, only four progressed to the medal matches, but both Indian teams fell short.
Ramita and Arjun finished in 6th place with a combined score of 628.7 points, narrowly missing out on the top four. Ramita scored 314.5 points, while Arjun contributed 314.2 points. They were just one point behind Germany, who secured the 4th spot with 629.7 points.
Elavenil and Sandeep, the second Indian pair, placed 12th with a total of 626.3 points. Elavenil scored 312.6 points and Sandeep added 313.7 points. Their performance was not enough to advance to the knockout stages.
The day concluded with anticipation for the women’s 10m air pistol qualification, where Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan are set to compete. The outcome of this event is eagerly awaited as the Indian shooting team aims to turn their fortunes around in the ongoing Paris Olympics. ANI