India Falls Short in Shooting Qualification at Paris 2024 Olympics

India's shooting teams faced disappointment at the Paris 2024 Olympics as both mixed 10 m air rifle teams failed to advance to the medal rounds. With Ramita and Arjun finishing sixth and Elavenil and Sandeep securing the 12th spot, hopes now rest on the upcoming air pistol events.

India's campaign in shooting at the Paris 2024 Olympics began with a setback as both Indian teams in the 10 m air rifle mixed team qualification failed to progress to the medal matches on Saturday.

In the qualifiers, Elavenil Valarivan teamed with Sandeep Singh and the pair of Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal represented India. Out of the 28 teams, only the top four progressed to the knockout stages, which include a gold medal match for the first two teams and a bronze match for the third and fourth-ranked teams. Unfortunately, India couldn't secure a spot in the top four.

Ramita and Arjun ended their campaign in sixth place, accumulating a total of 628.7 points across three series. Ramita contributed 314.5 points, while Arjun added 314.2 points. They narrowly missed the fourth spot by one point, which was secured by Germany with 629.7 points. Meanwhile, Elavenil and Sandeep finished in 12th place, achieving 626.3 points with Elavenil scoring 312.6 points and Sandeep adding 313.7 points.

Germany moves on to face Kazakhstan for the bronze, while China and South Korea will compete for the gold. Despite the initial setback, India remains hopeful as the 10 m air pistol qualification rounds for men and women, featuring stars such as Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker, will take place later today at 2 pm and 4 pm, respectively.

(With inputs from agencies.)