'I think it was a bad day': Sarabjot Singh after missing 10m air pistol final

Indian shooter Sarabjot Singh was left heartbroken after narrowly missing out on the qualification rounds of the 10m air pistol at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite giving his best in the qualifications, Sarabjot found himself on the wrong side of a tough tiebreaker.

Robin Walter of Germany secured qualification to the finals with just one more inner circle shot than the Indian shooter.

Visibly dejected, Sarabjot expressed his feelings to Jio Cinema after the game.

“I think I did my best in the qualifications today, but I think it was a bad day for me. I don’t know what happened today,” Sarabjot said to Jio Cinema. “But it’s okay, it was my first Olympics. I have gained so much experience and learned a lot.”

Even at the cusp of heartbreak, Sarabjot’s words revealed his constant determination to improve and learn from mistakes.

"Now I have to improve my technique, and I look forward to improving my techniques and performing better in the future, after going back to India," he added.

Sarabjot showed glimpses of his best version in round 4 of the qualifying phase when he scored a perfect 100/100 points, taking him to the qualification spot. However, he couldn’t carry this form into the final two rounds, where he managed to score only 93 points in the fifth round.

With two shots remaining, Sarabjot had to shoot both ten-pointers, with at least one landing in the inner circle to level up with the German shooter. Even though he scored them, the second-to-last shot landed inches away from the inner circle, sending Sarabjot out of the campaign.

His fellow compatriot Arjun Singh Cheema also had a disappointing day as he finished in the 18th spot.

Sarabjot will now look forward to the Mixed 10m Air Pistol event scheduled for the 28th of July, where he and Manu Bhaker will lead the Indian charge. Finishing third, Manu had qualified for the finals of the women’s 10m air pistol event earlier today.