From Jalalabad to Paris: Arjun Babuta’s heartbreaking near-miss at the 2024 Olympics

By Saurabh Duggal

Arjun Babuta's ascent in shooting is a story of dedication and familial support. Driven by his parents' passion, businessman Neeraj and writer Deepti, the Babuta family relocated from Jalalabad to Chandigarh to further Arjun's shooting career. This strategic move proved fruitful as Arjun clinched fourth place in the men's 10m air rifle event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The pivotal moment came with Arjun in medal contention. However, his final shot, scoring 9.5 points, was just shy of securing a medal, leaving him heartbroken but just outside the podium.

Arjun’s journey began under the tutelage of Lt Col JS Dhillon, the foundational coach of Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra. A transformative experience came at a 10-day summer coaching camp organised by national coach DS Chandel at Kasauli International School in Himachal Pradesh. This camp was a turning point in Arjun's career.

"From the outset, Arjun was polite, positive, and focused on mastering the sport," Chandel recalled. "I remember the Kasauli camp vividly. Despite being a novice, Arjun showed a keen interest in perfection and later joined me at the Panjab University shooting center."

Deepti Babuta, Arjun's mother and a prominent short story writer, played a vital role in his early competitions. Chandel reminisced about a national trial in Delhi where Arjun initially struggled but bounced back with a remarkable final series to secure a spot in the national squad. 

Arjun's big break came when he won individual gold at the 2022 World Cup in Changwon. This year, he secured silver in a mixed event at the World Cup in Cairo.

Graduating from DAV College, Chandigarh, Arjun is currently studying mass communication at Lovely Professional University (LPU). Although he emerged as the country’s top marksman in the 10m air rifle event around 2019-2020, he missed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. His focus then shifted to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where falling short of a medal is a significant setback. However, Chandel remains optimistic about Arjun’s future, hopeful for a podium finish in the next Olympics.