Silver Shine: Elavenil Valarivan Leads India to Double Silver in 10m Air‑Rifle at Asian Games 2026

When the Aichi‑Nagoya Asian Games opened their shooting range on September 20, 2026, the buzz was palpable. The women’s 10m air‑rifle final gathered eight of the continent’s best, and among them India’s own Elavenil Valarivan seemed unusually calm, almost as if she’d been waiting for this moment all season.

From the get‑go, Elavenil set the tone. A crisp 10.4 on her first pair of shots put her ahead, and she kept the pressure on with a series of 10.6‑plus throws. The Japanese prodigy Taichi was never far behind, but the gap never widened enough to make the race a dead‑heat. By the time the last two shots were fired, Elavenil’s cumulative score sat at 253.0 – just shy of Taichi’s record‑breaking 253.5, yet comfortably enough for the silver medal.

While Elavenil was polishing her individual medal, the Indian team was busy knitting together a silver of its own. Shooting alongside Vidarsa K. Vinod and Sonam Maskar, the trio posted a combined score that edged out all but the Chinese pair, earning India a second silver on the same day. The teamwork was evident – quiet nods, steady breaths, and a shared grin after every clean hit.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Sonam Maskar, who had shown promise in the qualification round, stumbled in the elimination series, eventually finishing sixth after a nerve‑wracking 9.9 that dropped her out of medal contention. Meanwhile, South Korean shooter Ban clinched bronze with a steady 10.5, while Japan’s Taichi celebrated gold, her 10.8 on the final shot sealing the record.

The atmosphere in the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery was electric. Spectators held their breath as each athlete squeezed the trigger, the occasional murmur of a near‑miss echoing through the hall. When Elavenil’s last 10.1 rang out, a wave of applause rolled over the crowd – a mixture of relief, pride, and the unspoken hope of more medals to come.

India’s shooting contingent isn’t done yet. Tomorrow the men’s 10m air‑rifle event kicks off with Parth Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, and Rudrankksh Patil stepping up, while the skeet competition will see names like Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Mairaj Ahmad Khan take aim. The early success of the women’s squad has set a high bar, and fans are already buzzing about what could be a historic haul for Indian shooters.

Stay tuned to Sportstar for live updates, detailed scores, and behind‑the‑scenes stories as the Asian Games continue to unfold across Aichi‑Nagoya.