I will try and push the limits, says rifle shooter Arjun Babuta

Even though it’s been a couple of months, there’s a slight disappointment in Arjun Babuta’s voice while discussing that fateful morning of July 29.
It was bright and sunny at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux with Babuta’s prospects looking even brighter as he was in medal contention in the men’s 10m air rifle final. But a poor 9.5 on his final shot made the 25-year-old miss out on the elusive Olympic medal by a whisker to begin India’s string of fourth place finishes in Paris.
While the heartbreak will forever be with him, Babuta has emerged a stronger shooter post the Olympics.
“Olympics was very different to all other competitions I’ve been part of. Uski chaka chaundh alag hai (it has a special feel). It is the biggest thing in the world. It is challenging as it has a lot of distractions. But I was aware and well prepared for it which benefitted me as I was able to keep focus,” said the Chandigarh resident.
“Paris has really boosted my confidence, performing under those conditions with such a large audience. Now big scores appear small to me. To finish fourth best in the world… I am proud of it. It has given me the courage to take risks to experiment more and introduce them in my shooting.”
It is normal for Babuta to analyse and assess his performance when he leaves the lane so that he reaches a conclusion about his performance before talking to others. It is the same factor that helped him face the people around him post his fourth-place finish. “I do it so that people’s comments do not affect me,” he said.
He did the same after the Olympic final. “It was a hard moment, but I am very proud of myself. I did everything I could on my end,” added Babuta.
Babuta will next be seen in action at the ISSF World Cup Final here from October 13-15 where he aims to shoot with a relaxed mind and just enjoy the competition. Two years back, Babuta had won gold in both the individual as well as team 10m air rifle events at the Changwon World Cup and had claimed a mixed team silver in Cairo earlier this year. “I will try and push the limit, will compete against myself, not anyone else,” says Babuta.
While the Punjab shooter will also be competing at the National Shooting Championship Competitions here in November-December, Babuta’s primary aim is to work on his fitness.
As the Paris Olympics were approaching, the rifleman had taken a conscious decision to reduce physical exercise as he didn’t want any changes to his body, especially weight and muscle. But for the next one year, Babuta is focussed on improving his fitness, working out and building his physical strength.
“I was very well prepared at this Olympics because of periodisation of my work. When I had to focus on my matches, I had to make sure to balance my work out so that I don’t get physically exhausted which can cause shivering muscles due to which you can lose focus in the (shooting) lane. I will build strength and muscle but balance it so that it helps me in case I reduce the work out intensity,” said Babuta.
For better mental health, Babuta is also aiming at getting into meditation which he believes will help him discover more about his technique so that stray thoughts do not enter his mind in the shooting lane.
“The target is definitely to refine my shooting, refine the process, which is going to help me in the lane. I also aim to take my scores higher and bring in consistency so that I am well prepared for big competitions in the future. Consistency comes from a lot of factors and the biggest factor is the combination of the mental and physical aspects,” said Babuta.
“Technically I am already working with my coach (Deepali Deshpande). I will try and refine more wherever I feel necessary. These are the main factors in shooting. The more you can refine them in detail, the better performances you will have.”