Arjun Babuta showcased remarkable composure and skill to secure the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup.
The Indian shooter fell just short of gold by 0.1 points, finishing with a score of 252.3, as reigning Olympic champion Sheng Lihao of China took the top podium with 252.4.
Hungary’s Istvan Peni, a veteran of over 40 ISSF medals, clinched bronze with 229.8 points in a final stacked with world-class competitors. Babuta briefly led after the 14th shot, but Sheng’s near-perfect 10.9 shot turned the tables, sealing his victory in the closing moments.
India’s Rudrankksh Patil also made the final, but a technical infraction led to his elimination at the eighth-place mark. Despite missing the podium, his strong qualification score of 632.0 reaffirmed his standing as one of India’s top shooters.
With this silver, Babuta continues to strengthen his reputation on the international shooting stage, following his fourth-place finish at the Paris Games last year. His performance signals promising prospects for Indian shooting ahead of the upcoming global championships.
