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Indian shooter Varun Tomar has clinched a spot in the Paris Olympics 2024 after winning gold at the 10m men’s air pistol individual event at the Asian Qualifiers in Jakarta on Monday. Tomar pipped fellow countryman Arjun Singh Cheema, who won the silver medal, in a close final. With this triumph, Tomar becomes the 14th Indian athlete to secure the 14th quota for this year’s Olympics.
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While top two shooters in each event are set qualify for the event, India were eligible for just one place after Sarabjot Singh secured his spot last year. The rule states each nation can win a maximum of two quotas in each category.
Tomar finished qualification round on pole position with a score of 586 as the Indian team with Cheema and Sagar Dangi secured the team gold medal. In the 8-men final, Tomar gradually rose through the ranks before taking the lead in the fifth series. Surging forward, Tomar finished with a final score of 239.6 while Cheema narrowly missed out on the top with 237.3 points.
I came here thinking to win the gold medal and a quota place : Tomar
Speaking about his performance, Tomar told ISSF TV how he came to this event with objective of clinching the quota. He said, “I came here thinking to win the gold medal and a quota place, and I am glad I could do it.” Arjun Singh Cheema congratulated his teammate for securing the spot for the country.
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“We got a quota place for the country; really happy for Tomar that he got it,” he said. The 23-year-old will now go through the selection trials to get into the team for the marquee event later this year.
