India's quest for a medal on Day 1 of the Paris 2024 Olympics faced a setback as both Indian pairs in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event failed to secure a spot in the finals. The Indian teams, Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh, and Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta, finished outside the top four, which was necessary to advance to the medal rounds.

Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta came closest to qualifying but ultimately finished in sixth place with a score of 628.7. They narrowly missed out on a top-four position, falling just one point short of Norway and Germany, who both scored 629.7 to advance to the bronze medal match. Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh ended their campaign in 12th place, achieving a total score of 626.3. Despite their efforts, they were unable to compete with the higher-scoring teams.

Each shooter fired 30 shots in the competition, and the combined score determined the team's standing. The top four teams from the qualification round move on to the medal rounds, with the top two competing for gold and the third and fourth-placed teams battling for bronze. China (632.2), Korea (631.4), Kazakhstan (630.8), and Germany (629.7) made the 10m air rifle mixed team medal matches. India 1 finished 12th (626.3) and India 2 (628.7) 6th.

There is also more shooting action in the qualification rounds, featuring Arjun Singh Cheema, Sarajbot Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Rhythm Sangwan in the 10m air pistol events. Later in the day, the Indian men's hockey team faces a crucial opening clash in the group stage against New Zealand. With tough fixtures ahead, a slow start is not an option. Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag, and Ashwini-Tanisha will also compete in badminton group-stage matches.

Source: India Today