Elavenil Valarivan Wins Silver Medal At Asian Games 2026 in Women's 10m Air Rifle
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan has secured a historic individual silver medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 20, 2026. Her remarkable final score of 252.4 points marks India's first individual silver in this event.
Ace Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan has etched her name in history by securing a silver medal in the fiercely contested individual Women's 10m Air Rifle event at the ongoing 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Her remarkable performance on Sunday, September 20, 2026, saw her deliver a final score of 252.4 points, making her the first Indian woman to win an individual Asian Games silver in this category. Elavenil Valarivan, Vidarsa Vinod and Sonam Maskar Win Silver Medal at Asian Games 2026 in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team.
Elavenil Valarivan Wins Silver
Valarivan's individual triumph caps off an exceptional day for the Indian shooting contingent, which also saw her contribute to a team silver medal earlier in the morning. India's medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Games commenced with these impressive shooting performances at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery.
Team Event Success
Before her individual heroics, Elavenil Valarivan teamed up with debutantes Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod to clinch a silver medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle team event. The formidable trio combined for a total of 1898.0 points, finishing second only to powerhouse China, who claimed gold with a new world-record score of 1904.2 points. Hosts Japan secured the bronze medal with 1897.1 points.
Sonam Maskar was the highest scorer for India in the team event, registering 634.1 points, followed closely by Valarivan with 633.5 points, and Vidarsa Vinod with 630.4 points. Both Valarivan and Maskar’s strong individual qualification scores also earned them berths in the eight-woman individual final, setting the stage for more medal aspirations.
Individual Final Showdown
In the high-pressure individual final, Valarivan demonstrated exceptional composure and precision. While she had been leading through earlier stages, she ultimately secured the silver with her final score of 252.4. This marks a significant milestone for Indian shooting, adding a prestigious individual medal to the country's burgeoning collection at the Asian Games. Who Is Suchika Tariyal? All About MMA Fighter Making Asian Games History for India.
This early success in shooting is particularly encouraging for India, building on their record-breaking performance at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, where the shooters amassed an impressive 22 medals, including seven gold. The strong start in Aichi-Nagoya signals India's continued dominance and potential for further glory in the sport.
The Indian contingent will now look to build on these opening successes as the shooting events continue at the 20th Asian Games, with hopes high for more medals across various disciplines.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2026 11:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).