India Shines at Asian Games 2026: Elavenil Valarivan Leads with Silver Medals
India's Medal Rush Begins
Nagoya: India kicked off its medal tally at the Asian Games with two silver medals in shooting, thanks to the exceptional performance of Elavenil Valarivan. The nation also secured an unexpected podium finish in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and is on track to defend its women's cricket gold.
Valarivan, who had previously left the Asian Games without a medal, emerged as the standout athlete of the day. The 27-year-old, a bronze medalist at the 2025 World Championship, clinched silver in the women's 10m air rifle event with a score of 252.4, just 0.6 points shy of Japan's Hinata Taichi, who set a new Asian Games record with 253.0.
In addition to her individual success, Valarivan teamed up with Sonam Uttam Maskar and newcomer Vidarsa Vinod to secure a silver in the team event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Valarivan on X, expressing pride in her achievements and wishing her continued success.
Valarivan's triumph was complemented by Suchika Tariyal's impressive entry into the semifinals of the women's traditional 60kg MMA category, marking the sport's debut at the Games. Tariyal defeated Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0, ensuring at least a bronze medal.
Having transitioned from judo to MMA to combat street harassment, Tariyal has already earned gold at national championships and bronze at Asian championships earlier this year.
Cricket Team Dominates
Cricket Stars on Course for Gold
In Nisshin city, the Indian women's cricket team showcased their dominance with a resounding 114-run victory over Bangladesh, securing a spot in the finals and aiming to defend their gold medal.
Shafali Verma was the highlight of the match, scoring her first T20 International century off just 49 balls, leading India to a total of 195/4, which Bangladesh could not chase down.
India will face Sri Lanka in the final, a repeat of the last edition's showdown, after Sri Lanka eliminated Pakistan.
Hockey Teams Make a Statement
Goal Rush in Hockey
Both the men's and women's hockey teams of India made a strong impression in their opening pool matches at Kakamilgahara. The women's team overwhelmed Uzbekistan with a staggering 19-0 victory, while the men's team defeated Indonesia 13-1.
Deepika Sehrawat, a 22-year-old striker, delivered an outstanding performance for the women, scoring a record eight goals. Dilpreet Singh was the standout for the men, netting four goals.
Interestingly, both teams wore saffron uniforms despite earlier statements from Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey about reverting to blue.
Strong Starts in Badminton and Table Tennis
Strong Starts by Shuttlers and Paddlers
India's men's and women's table tennis teams commenced their campaigns with identical 3-0 victories against Indonesia in their Group F openers. The women later secured a 3-2 win over Singapore in their second match, while the men faced a setback with a 0-3 loss to Iran.
In badminton, the women's team triumphed over Kazakhstan with a 3-0 scoreline, setting up a challenging quarterfinal against Japan. Led by the formidable PV Sindhu, the team, which also included Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma, completed the match without dropping a game.
Heartbreak in Teqball
Heartbreak in Teqball
Quimcy D'Souza, representing India in the relatively new sport of teqball, narrowly missed out on making history. She lost both her women's singles and mixed doubles bronze medal matches.
In the singles match, D'Souza pushed Japan's world No. 7 Yuina Sakamoto to the limit but ultimately fell short, losing 0-2 (11-12, 11-12). Shortly after, she and partner Mohamed Anas Beg faced Vietnam in the mixed doubles bronze match but lost 0-2 (9-12, 6-12).
In other news, MMA fighter Varun Sanyal was unable to compete after becoming medically unfit due to a sauna incident. Swimmer Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men's 100m backstroke final, clocking 54.77 seconds, while Suraj Singh Mayanglambam placed 11th in the men's changquan final in wushu.