Arjuna Babuta Secures Silver in Men's 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup

Babuta's Silver Medal Performance

At the ISSF World Cup, Arjuna Babuta, who competed in the Paris Olympics, earned a silver medal in the men's 10m air rifle event, just shy of gold.

In a thrilling final, Babuta scored 252.3, narrowly losing to China's reigning Olympic champion Sheng Lihao, who finished with 252.4.

Hungarian shooter Istvan Peni, a seasoned competitor with over 40 ISSF medals, claimed the bronze with a score of 229.8 in a highly competitive field.

The final showcased an impressive lineup, featuring reigning world champion and Paris silver medalist Victor Lindgren from Sweden, Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg, and India's former world champion Rudrankksh Patil.

India had the opportunity for a double podium finish; however, Rudrankksh was penalized for a technical violation on his 11th shot, resulting in an eighth-place finish after the first elimination round.

Both Babuta and Patil began the final strongly, each scoring 10.1 on their initial shots, remaining close to the leaders early in the competition. After the 10th shot, Babuta elevated his performance, moving into third place and closely trailing Hegg and Peni, while Rudrankksh challenged Sheng.

Patil had recently secured gold at the World Cup in Buenos Aires the previous week.

Following Patil's unexpected exit, Babuta maintained his composure and took the lead for the first time after his 14th shot.

As Hegg faltered, Sheng made a comeback with a series of high scores, including an impressive 10.9 on his 16th shot, narrowing the gap.

With only two shots remaining, Babuta held a slight 0.3-point lead. However, Sheng, demonstrating his champion's mentality, fired another 10.9, taking the lead.

Babuta's final shot of 10.5 was insufficient to regain the lead, as Sheng secured victory with a score of 10.3.

Earlier in the qualification round, Babuta achieved a commendable score of 631.9 in the first relay, while Sheng topped the leaderboard with a score of 635.0.

Patil scored 632.0 in the second relay, leading his group and finishing third overall.

India's Hriday Hazarika narrowly missed qualifying for the final, finishing 10th with a score of 629.3.