NE SPORTS BUREAU
NAGOYA/NEW DELHI, SEPT 20
How close can an athlete come to gold and still leave the range having transformed an entire day for her country? For Elavenil Valarivan, the answer was 0.6 points — and two silver medals within little more than an hour.
The Gujarat shooter turned the opening day of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games into a personal double-medal spectacle, first helping India win silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event and then returning to the range to claim another silver in the individual final. She finished the latter on 252.4 points, just 0.6 behind Japan’s Hinata Taichi, who produced an Asian Games-record 253.0 for gold.
- Gujarat’s Elavenil Valarivan produces a stunning double-silver opening day at Aichi-Nagoya, winning team and individual medals within hours
- Holds the lead deep into the women’s 10m air rifle final before Japan’s Hinata Taichi seals gold with an Asian Games-record 253.0
- Elavenil finishes on 252.4 after a gripping final two-shot duel; South Korea’s Ban Hyojin takes bronze
- PM Modi hails Indian shooters; Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya calls her individual silver another moment of glory
- Gujarat’s record Asian Games representation gets an early medal dividend, underlining the state’s expanding multi-sport ecosystem
The individual medal was also a landmark for Indian shooting, with Elavenil becoming the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games individual silver in the women’s 10m air rifle event.
Gold was hers to lose — until the final two shots
Elavenil looked firmly in command for much of the final. She opened with 53.1 after five shots and remained at the top as the elimination rounds unfolded. Even deep into the contest, the Indian shooter continued to hold the advantage in a tightly packed field.
The contest ultimately became a two-shooter duel between Elavenil and home favourite Taichi.
With two shots remaining, Elavenil was only 0.3 points ahead. She responded with a 10.4, but Taichi produced a 10.6 to narrow the gap further.
The final shot carried the gold medal in its sights.
Elavenil managed 10.1, taking her final tally to 252.4. Taichi answered with 10.2, reaching 253.0 and setting a new Asian Games record. Elavenil had to settle for silver, while South Korea’s Ban Hyojin took bronze with 230.4.
Indian shooter Sonam Uttam Maskar, who had earlier shared the team silver-winning combination, finished sixth in the individual final.
From team silver to individual silver
The individual triumph came after an equally significant team performance earlier in the day.
Elavenil, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod combined for 1,898.0 points to win India’s first confirmed medal of the Games in the women’s 10m air rifle team event. China won gold with a world-record 1,904.2, while hosts Japan took bronze with 1,897.1.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the trio, describing their performance as India’s first medal at the Games.
Another Silver for Elavenil Valarivan!
Heartiest congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan on securing the Silver Medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Individual event at the #AsianGames2026.#Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/sfZG1RnOn6
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) September 20, 2026
“India’s first medal at #AsianGames2026! Congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar & Vidarsa K Vinod on securing Silver in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team event. Wishing our champions and the entire Indian contingent many more moments of glory.”
After Elavenil’s individual silver, Mandaviya posted another congratulatory message:
“Another Silver for Elavenil Valarivan! Heartiest congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan on securing the Silver Medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Individual event at the #AsianGames2026.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Elavenil, noting that Indian shooters were continuing to make the country proud.
“Indian shooters keep making us proud!”
He described her second medal of the day as making the achievement “even more special” and extended his best wishes for her future endeavours.
Gujarat’s sporting investment meets the Asian stage
Elavenil’s achievement also gives a powerful early dimension to Gujarat’s largest-ever Asian Games representation.
The state has nine athletes and one reserve competing at Aichi-Nagoya — three times its representation at the 2014 Asian Games. Elavenil is joined by table-tennis players Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah; soft-tennis player Aniket Patel; swimmer Aryan Nehra; tennis players Ankita Raina and Vaidehi Chaudhari; and sprinter Devyani Zala.
Ahead of the Games, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi described the record representation as a “proud moment” and attributed the progress to sustained investment in sports development.
“Gujarat is steadily emerging as a global sports powerhouse.”
He also said: “Our goal is not just to train athletes but to build an entire ecosystem that enables them to excel on the international stage and bring glory to the nation.”
The state government under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has been reported as strengthening this sporting ecosystem through infrastructure, athlete-support programmes and high-performance training. Gujarat has also linked its sports infrastructure push to its preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
For Elavenil, however, Sunday was about something more immediate: precision under pressure.
Two silvers, one individual final decided by 0.6 points, and a performance that ensured Gujarat’s name was on the Asian Games medal board almost as soon as the Games began.
The gold escaped on the final shot. The statement had already been made.
