Shooting: Varun Tomar wins 14th quota for Paris Olympics, India on course for record representation

Varun Tomar, the younger cousin of former world champion and Tokyo Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary, won India’s 14th quota for this year’s Paris Games.

The 20-year-old Tomar confirmed the Paris berth by winning the gold medal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier tournament in Jakarta, edging out compatriot Arjun Singh Cheema, who won the silver medal, in a close final.

While top two shooters in each event are entitled to a quota place, India were eligible for just one spot as Sarabjot Singh had already secured a spot last year. A country can win a maximum of two quotas in each category.

VARUN TOMAR EARNS A QUOTA IN THE 10 M AIR PISTOL

Gold and Silver finish for the Indian team ensures that Varun will earn an Olympic quota for India.
Arjun Singh Cheema finished 2nd and won the🥈.

Quota no 14 in shooting

Qualification Result
Varun – 586
Arjun – 579 pic.twitter.com/FQpy6F0SnA

— SPORTS ARENA🇮🇳 (@SportsArena1234) January 8, 2024

Tomar topped the qualification round with a score of 586 as he combined with Cheema and Sagar Dangi to help India win the team gold medal. In the 8-men final, Tomar was in the hunt for the quota place throughout and once he went into the lead in the fifth series, he didn’t look back.

He finished with a final score of 239.6 while Cheema had a tally of 237.3. “I came here thinking to win the gold medal and a quota place, and I am glad I could do it,” Tomar told ISSF TV. Cheema, who will now hope to sneak into the team through the selection trials, was not too disappointed with the outcome. “We got a quota place for the country; really happy for Tomar that he got it,” he said.

A quota place does not automatically guarantee a shooter a place in the team for the Olympics. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has put in place an elaborate selection process that involves multiple trials to ensure in-form shooters travel for the Games.

Tomar’s quota means India are now likely to send the biggest-ever shooting contingent for the Olympics. A record 15 Indian shooters represented the country at the Tokyo Games.

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With the full allocation of eight quotas already secured in rifle shooting as well as the men’s 10m air pistol event, the focus will now shift on the 10m air pistol women’s event, men’s 25m rapid fire pistol and women’s 25m pistol categories, where additional slots will be on offer.

Out of the 14 quotas so far, eight have come in rifle shooting, four in pistol and two in shotgun. A country can obtain a maximum of 24 spots for the Games – eight each across the three events.

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