DAV shooters hog limelight again; will bounce back: Babuta’s parents
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 30
The sound of dhol celebrations once again echoed at DAV College premises as the Indian shooting team comprising of Manu Bhaker and Sarbjot Singh, both enrolled in the college, clinched history by clinching bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team shooting event at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.
With the medal, Manu become the first Indian women to bag two bronze medals in shooting during the same Olympics. This was India’s sixth Olympic medal in shooting and first-ever in a shooting team event in the Olympics history. On Sunday, Manu became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. “I am delighted to witness this historic moment live from the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. The duo has really proved their worth. While Manu overpowered the mental stress after Tokyo Olympics, Sarabjot missed marking a mark in the individual event. However, today, they proved that hard work always pays,” said Dr Amanendra Mann, Head, Department of Physical Education, DAV College. Meanwhile, Panjab University also celebrated the feat by Manu and Sarabjot. Manu is a student of MA Public Administration and recently, she took admission in Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication for the session 2024-25, while Sarabjot is pursuing Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management. Prof Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, congratulated the duo and announced to honour them.
He won’t stop here: Parents
Arjun Babuta’s parents missed their respective jobs to support their son in shooting sport. As Arjun narrowly missed standing on the podium in the 10m men’s air rifle event, his fourth-place finish is something his parents now admires. “He won’t stop here. Before the next Olympics, he will feature in various tournaments, including world cups. He was disheartened after one wrong shot. Nevertheless, he will surely bounce back,” said Neeraj Babuta, Arjun’s father who left his Indian Railways’ job. Arjun’s mother, a former judicial officer at local consumer courts said that his love for shooting was beyond one’s imagination.
“During Covid, he used to keep a rifle on his bedside. After his medal miss, he called us and assured that he will win one in the next Olympics,” said Deepti Babuta. Arjun, who hails from Fazilka, practices shooting in New Delhi. “We have our businesses, including a school. We are devoting 100 per cent of our time for his growth. Soon after coming back, he will be back to the shooting range, the only place which calms his nerves,” added Neeraj.
