Following the achievements of Aditya L1, India has now secured its first medal of the year in sports with Varun Tomar. Varun is 20 years old, the youngest cousin of former world champion and Tokyo Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary. Tomar clinched India's 14th quota in the Paris Games.
In a closely contested competition against his opponent Arjun Singh, the 20-year-old Tomar confirmed his place in the Paris Games by winning the gold medal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier tournament held in Jakarta. This significant victory not only adds to India's medal tally but also highlights the promising talent emerging in the field of sports.
In each shooting event, the top two shooters usually earn a quota place for their country. However, due to Sarabjot Singh securing a quota place last year, India was eligible for only one spot in the event, as a country can win a maximum of two quotas in each category. Despite this limitation, India's shooter, Tomar, excelled in the qualification round, topping it with a score of 586. Alongside his teammates Cheema and Sagar Dangi, Tomar contributed to India winning the team gold medal.
During the 8-men final, Tomar consistently performed well and secured the quota place by finishing with a final score of 239.6, while Cheema had a tally of 237.3. Expressing his satisfaction, Tomar stated, "I came here thinking to win the gold medal and a quota place, and I am glad I could do it." Cheema, not overly disappointed with the outcome, emphasized the significance of securing a quota place for the country, expressing happiness for Tomar.
It's important to note that earning a quota place does not guarantee a shooter a spot in the Olympic team. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has established a comprehensive selection process, involving multiple trials to ensure that the most in-form shooters represent the country at the Games.
With Tomar's quota, India is now likely to send its largest-ever shooting contingent to the Olympics. The country had a record 15 shooters at the Tokyo Games. Having already secured the full allocation of eight quotas in rifle shooting and the men's 10m air pistol event, the focus will now shift to other categories like the 10m air pistol women’s event, men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol, and women’s 25m pistol, where additional slots will be available.
Out of the 14 quotas obtained so far, eight are in rifle shooting, four in pistol, and two in shotgun. A country can obtain a maximum of 24 spots for the Games, with eight spots available in each of the three events.