Elavenil Valarivan Shines with Double Silver at Asian Games Opening Day

India’s shooters made a flying start at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi, bagging not one but two silver medals on day one. The headline‑grabbing feat came from Olympian Elavenil Valarivan, who not only lifted an individual silver in the women’s 10 m air‑rifle final but also played a key role in the team’s podium finish.

In the individual showdown, Valarivan kept her composure, rattling off a series of high‑10s that added up to 252.4 points. It was a nail‑biting finish – she missed the gold by a whisker, just 0.6 points behind Japan’s Hinata Taichi, who set a new Asian Games record of 253.0. South Korea’s Ban Hyo‑jin claimed bronze with 230.4, while India’s own Sonam Uttam Maskar also made the eight‑woman final, landing sixth after a 167.0 score.

Earlier that morning the Indian trio – Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod – combined their qualification scores to clinch the team silver. Their aggregate of 1 898.0 was enough for second place, just shy of China’s gold‑winning total of 1 904.2, which featured a standout 636.8 from Wang Zifei. Host nation Japan edged India for bronze with 1 897.1. Maskar led the Indian qualification round with a solid 634.1, Valarivan followed closely with 633.5, and Vinod contributed a dependable 630.4.

The shooting schedule isn’t done yet. Monday promises more drama with men’s 10 m air‑rifle events – both individual and team – on the docket, plus the first qualification rounds for men’s and women’s skeet. Indian fans will be watching closely, hoping the momentum continues.

All of this excitement, of course, is part of a larger Asian Games narrative where every medal counts, and early successes like Valarivan’s set the tone for the weeks ahead. Stay tuned, because the range is only getting hotter.