A strong start for India

Elavenil teamed up with Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod in the women's 10m air rifle team event. The Indian trio finished second with a score of 1898.0 points. China took Gold and Japan won bronze.

Team Event Silver Sets the Tone

The women’s 10m air rifle team event gave India its first medal of the Asian Games 2026. Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combined for a strong performance, finishing with 1898.0 points to secure the silver medal. China claimed the gold, while hosts Japan took bronze. For Elavenil, the team medal provided an early boost before she returned to the range for the individual final, where she added another silver to her tally.

Two Silvers in One Day

Missing gold by such a small margin may have been disappointing, but Elavenil still walked away with a memorable double-silver performance. The achievement was also important because she had been waiting for her first Asian Games medal since making her debut at the 2018 Jakarta Games. Her 2018 campaign ended without a medal after a rifle malfunction, and she also missed the finals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. This time, things were different Two events, two medals.

Elavenil later said that she had changed her approach after the disappointment of Paris. Instead of putting all her focus on the final score, she said she now tries to enjoy the sport and stay focused on the moment.

Gold Was Just 0.6 points Away

The individual final was especially close. Elavenil had taken the lead during the competition, but Japan's Hinata Taichi finished strongly and moved ahead in the final stages. Elavenil ended with 252.4 points, while Hinata finished on 253.0. That tiny 0.6point difference separated silver from gold. Still, her performance gave India a memorable start to its Asian Games Campaign. with two silver medals around her neck, Elavenil become one of the early stars of India Campaign in Aichi-Nagoya