Elavenil Valarivan Shines at Asian Games 2026 with Silver Medals

Celebrating Elavenil Valarivan's Achievements

C. Joseph Vijay, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, praised shooter Elavenil Valarivan for her remarkable performance on the first day of the Asian Games 2026, where she earned two silver medals. He emphasized that her accomplishments serve as an inspiration for the younger generation, motivating them to pursue excellence in sports.

Elavenil first teamed up with Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod to secure silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event. Later, she added an individual silver in the 10m air rifle event. Although she was in contention for gold for most of the final, Japan's Hinata Taichi ultimately claimed the top position.

In a post on X, Joseph Vijay expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan, highlighting her role in the Indian women's team that won gold in the 10-meter air rifle shooting event at the ongoing Asian Games in Japan, along with her individual silver medal. He commended the achievements of Indian sportswomen, stating that they set a benchmark for the youth, instilling confidence and motivation to strive for greatness. He hopes their victorious journey will pave the way for new milestones in Indian sports.

India's Medal Standings and Men's Shooting Success

As of Day 1, India ranked 10th in the medal standings with two silver medals.

On the second day of the competition, India continued to excel in shooting, adding three more medals at the 20th Asian Games. This included a notable double podium finish in the Men's 10m Air Rifle event held at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery.

Himanshu Dhillon secured an individual silver medal, while Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze in a fiercely contested final. China's Sheng Lihao took home the gold. The medal tally began in the morning qualification round, which also served as the team final based on aggregate scores. Patil led the Indian team with a score of 631.8, finishing third overall, while Dhillon followed with 630.0 for seventh place, and Parth Mane contributed 628.3. Their combined score of 1890.1 earned them team silver, just behind China's world-record score of 1899.0 and ahead of South Korea's 1884.2 for bronze.

To date, India has achieved five medals in shooting at this continental event, comprising four silvers and one bronze.