Arjun Babuta competes in the 10-meter air rifle events. Arjun has been a part of the Indian Shooting Team since 2016. He has represented India at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2016, ISSF Junior World Championship 2017, and ISSF Junior World Cup 2018. In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian Review, he gave his insights on his performance and his feelings after winning gold at the World Cup.
Q: Winning gold at a shooting world cup is a massive feat. How does it feel?
A: Earlier, I didn’t realise when I won it, but I feel pretty good with the response that I’m getting. I was a bit in shock earlier, but now I’ve realised what I’ve done. I feel good about it.
Q: From bronze at Gabala 2016, you have come a long way. Tell us about these fast 6 years.
A: So, I won a lot of medals in between, for example, at the World Cup in Sydney. But all these were junior competitions. I had a minor injury from 2019 to mid-2020 and some health issues. So, that was the time when I had a downfall. It took me some time to get through it. And now I’m here, so I feel great about it.
Q: What do you do to keep your focus? The parallels are drawn between you and Arjun from Mahabharat and are perfect, which means?
A: I guess it all was a team effort of my coaches, my psychologists, my trainers, and the sponsors it was not just me. I was there to execute whatever I was taught and I think I did that well. Rest everything, I give credit to all my coaches.
Q: We would like your morning routine, which keeps you focused on the target.
A: It’s different according to different days. Nowadays, I usually wake up late, around 8 or 9. And on the training days, I wake up early around 5 AM—we have gym classes; we have technical training; and then we have psychologist classes and physiotherapy sessions. So, a lot of things are there. So, it goes on and, on every day, and we just have to keep motivated and stick to our routine, and it helps a lot. Consistency is the key, I’d say.
Q: What next for you? Is that the Olympics?
A: No, there are various steps before that. I want to win the Olympics, but before that, we have a world championship from which we’ll get a quota. So, I’m looking forward to that competition first.
Q: So, being an underdog, how difficult was it to overcome Lucas?
A: I did not think about him being extraordinary. I think the training that was provided to the Indian team in Delhi was good. The job done by us and the coaches was really good. I believed it was a process and I didn’t feel any pressure from Lucas. I wasn’t thinking about who was next to me. I was just focused on my game and it turned out well. He was very experienced, he won a lot of medals and had a good score, but, again, I believed in my training sessions and I wasn’t scared of anyone at that time. I just wanted to do my best.
Q: Shooting hasn’t been included in the Commonwealth Games this time. What are your views on that?
A: When I got the news last year, I was shattered because it is a dream of every athlete to compete at the Olympics, CGW, and Asian Games, so I wanted that too, but it’s okay if it’s not there. We will focus and try to win a medal at the World Championship, the Asian Games, or the Olympics if the Commonwealth is not an option. I wish it was there because the Indian team is very strong.
Q: What kinds of sports should be included in the sports segment of the sports syndicate of India?
A: Are there any sports lacking? I, think there are a lot of sports lacking if you look into the Olympics chart. India is competing in very few sports and the reason behind it is awareness. For example, squash is very underrated. There are a lot of sports actually, if you google it, you’ll be shocked. So, I think we need to work on that.
Q: Do you play any e-sports?
A. I used to play Ludo, PUBG, and BGMI in lockdown, but then the competition series started and I got busy (laughs).
Q: How has this lockdown era been for you?
A: I worked a lot on my fitness, which helped me a lot in my game, and I spent a lot of hours on my shooting training as well. So, the lockdown period was really helpful for me. But side by side, it was relaxing as well, because I had a lot of time to experiment.
Q: In how much time do you see yourself in the president’s house, receiving some national award for yourself?
A: I see it very soon, but let’s see what the government decides. And I think I still have a lot to give, and it’s too soon to say anything.
Please convey your good wishes to the Commonwealth Games 2022 Indian contingents who are going to represent India this time.
All my good wishes are there, just do your best and be you all the best.