Abhijit Deshmukh from Chateauroux
The sting of finishing fourth at the Olympics is all too familiar to many Indian athletes. Legends of Indian sports like Milkha Singh, PT Usha, and Abhinav Bindra have faced this heart-wrenching scenario, as have more recent competitors like Deepak Punia and Aditi Ashok. On Monday, at the Châteauroux shooting range, Arjun Babuta joined this unfortunate club, missing out on the bronze by a razor-thin margin of just 0.6 points.
Arjun had been performing exceptionally well, consistently ranking in the top three throughout most of the event. However, two stray shots cost him a coveted spot on the podium. Reflecting on his performance, Arjun said, “I tried my best, but maybe it was not my day. I gave my hundred per cent.”
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When asked about the role of luck in such competitions, Arjun acknowledged its influence: “Yes, I do believe in luck,” he said. “Sometimes, you shoot here and there, and it hits the target. But you cannot depend on luck.”
Speaking about his near-miss, Arjun expressed the emotional turmoil of finishing fourth: “Everyone wants to win a medal. Nobody aims for fourth place. It’s the worst position ever, and I can feel that now. It’s very hard to deal with because you think maybe I could have hit that one shot better. There’s a constant battle in your mind, wondering what could have been done differently.”
Arjun’s words capture the frustration and determination of athletes who push themselves to the limit, only to be narrowly denied the reward of their dreams.
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