Elavenil Valarivan Shines with Two Silver Medals at Asian Games 2026
Elavenil Valarivan's Remarkable Achievement
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to represent her nation after returning home with two silver medals from the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Elavenil secured silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event alongside teammates Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, and later added another silver in the individual women's 10m air rifle event on the same day.
Team Performance and Individual Success
On September 20, Elavenil, along with Maskar and Vinod, participated in the women's 10m air rifle team event, achieving a silver medal with a qualification aggregate score of 1898.0 points.
In the individual event, Elavenil was in contention for gold for a significant portion of the final, but Japan's Hinata Taichi ultimately took the gold in the final moments.
Warm Welcome for the Medalists
Upon their return to New Delhi on Friday night, the Indian shooting team was greeted with enthusiasm. Elavenil expressed her appreciation for the support she received, stating, "It's a very grateful feeling; so many people are cheering and supporting us. We are very privileged to represent our country and win medals. The least I could do for my country and make the country proud."
India's Shooting Success at the Asian Games
India has amassed a total of 23 medals at the Asian Games so far, including two gold, nine silver, and 12 bronze medals, with shooting contributing significantly to this tally.
Elavenil noted that shooting has been a strong discipline for India and expressed her joy in maintaining the momentum with medal-winning performances.
Pistol Team's Gold Medal Victory
India's latest achievement in shooting at the Asian Games 2026 occurred on Friday when Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet ended the pistol shooting medal drought by winning gold in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.
The duo scored 484.6 points in the final, finishing 6.6 points ahead of South Korea, who secured silver with 478.0 points. This victory marked India's second gold medal at the Games.
Additionally, Suruchi and Kamaljeet set a new Asian record of 481.3 points, surpassing the previous record held by Uzbekistan.