India’s shooting campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics faced an early setback as both Indian teams in the 10m air rifle mixed team qualification rounds failed to advance to the medal matches on Saturday.
In the qualifiers, two Indian pairs, Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh, along with Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal, competed for a spot in the knockout stages. The top four teams out of 28 would progress to the finals, but India did not make the cut.
Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta finished just outside the top four, placing sixth with a combined score of 628.7 points. Ramita scored 314.5, while Arjun posted 314.2. They fell short by a narrow margin of one point, as Germany secured the fourth spot with 629.7 points.
Meanwhile, Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh ended the qualification in 12th place with a total of 626.3 points. Elavenil scored 312.6 points, and Sandeep achieved 313.7 points.
Germany and Kazakhstan will compete for the bronze medal. Kazakhstan’s team, consisting of Le Alexandra and Satpayev Islam, earned a third-place finish with 630.8 points.
The gold medal match will feature a showdown between China, the defending champions who topped the qualification with 632.2 points, and South Korea, who secured the second spot with 631.4 points.
Despite this initial disappointment, India’s shooting prospects remain alive with the upcoming 10m air pistol qualification rounds for both men and women.
Notable shooters Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema, Manu Bhaker, and Rhythm Sangwan will be in action, providing a chance for India to make a strong comeback. These events are scheduled to begin at 2 pm and 4 pm respectively.
