Asian Games 2026: Indian taking pictures contingent luggage two silver medals on opening day as Elavenil stars in Aichi-Nagoya

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 20 (ANI): India opened its medal marketing campaign on the twentieth Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a double-silver efficiency in taking pictures, led by a formidable show from Olympian Elavenil Valarivan on Sunday.

The girls’s 10m Air Rifle occasion delivered two podium finishes for India, giving the nation a powerful begin on the primary full day of competitors. Elavenil Valarivan secured silver within the particular person last, whereas Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod mixed to say silver within the crew occasion.

India opened its medal account on the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery, with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combining for a qualification combination of 1898.0 factors to safe silver within the girls’s 10m Air Rifle crew occasion.

China claimed the gold medal with 1904.2 factors, with Wang Zifei (636.8), Han Jiayu (633.8) and Du Yuchen (633.6) making up its gold-winning trio. Hosts Japan completed with the bronze medal after posting a mixed rating of 1897.1.

Sonam led the qualifying effort for India with an impressive 634.1 to complete third, whereas Elavenil certified in seventh place with 633.5. Vidarsa added a stable rating of 630.4 to position twelfth within the particular person rankings and seal the crew silver for India. 

A couple of hours later, Valarivan doubled down on India’s taking pictures metallic tally as she clinched the silver medal within the girls’s 10m air rifle last persevering with India’s sturdy begin in taking pictures on the continental occasion.

Valarivan completed second behind Japan’s Hinata Taichi, who gained the gold medal, whereas South Korea’s Ban Hyojin secured the bronze medal.

Elavenil entered the ultimate in spectacular kind and took the lead after the primary sequence with a rating of 53.1. Sonam Maskar, the opposite Indian shooter within the last, completed her opening sequence with 52.1 and was positioned seventh.

After 10 photographs, Elavenil remained on high with a rating of 106.0, whereas Sonam registered 104.2 to sit down in joint fifth place.

As the elimination rounds started, Elavenil continued her constant efficiency with a ten.6 in her first shot. She adopted it with a ten.3, whereas Sonam additionally produced sturdy photographs, together with a ten.6 and a ten.7. After 12 photographs, Elavenil led the standings with 126.9, whereas Sonam was fourth with 125.5.

Elavenil maintained her dominance within the last phases, hitting 10.8 and 10.7 in her subsequent two photographs to increase her lead with a rating of 148.4 after 14 photographs. Sonam was fourth at that stage with 146.6.

In the following sequence, Elavenil scored 10.7 and 10.5 to stay on the high, whereas Sonam’s 9.9 adopted by 10.5, noticed her end sixth within the last.

Elavenil continued her wonderful run with a ten.6 in her seventeenth shot and a ten.1 in her 18th to guide with 190.3 factors. She remained forward after 20 photographs with a rating of 211.1, with Japan’s Hinata Taichi shut behind at 210.8.

The Indian shooter was in medal rivalry after the twenty first shot, the place she scored 10.5, however Hinata and South Korea’s Ban Hyojin stored the strain on. After 22 photographs, Elavenil moved to second place with a rating of 231.9, behind Hinata’s 232.2.

With the ultimate shot, Elavenil scored 10.1, whereas Hinata completed with 10.2 to safe the gold medal. Elavenil settled for silver after a powerful show within the last.

Following her Asian Games double silver medal win, Valarivan expressed happiness at getting an opportunity to make individuals near her glad and devoted her silver medals to her complete help workers for working tirelessly along with her main as much as the continental showpiece. 

Speaking to ANI, she mentioned about her medal win, ‘I believe I’m nonetheless letting it settle in; it is vitally recent, after all. I did communicate to my household; I spoke to my mentor, my coach, my psychologist, and I might see all glad faces over, and I’m very grateful that I gave them the chance to be glad.’

Elavenil, mentioned that whereas she had participated in two Olympics and an Asian Games previous to this win, she was by no means able to win a medal. On her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, Elavenil completed sixteenth in particular person 10 m air rifle motion, whereas she completed twelfth within the combined crew occasion. 

‘I’m very grateful that I’ve bought the chance to play for my nation at present and win, win a medal for it,’ she added. 

Elavenil identified the tireless work of her help crew main as much as the competitors, ensuring she was well-equipped in each side of her recreation and was at her finest. 

‘It is to the help crew that I’ve, I’ve (the medal dedication), I imply, they’ve been tirelessly working with me for the previous few months, ensuring that, you recognize, I used to be outfitted with each side of my sport and that I’m at my finest on the given day. So, I believe this goes out to my coach, my psychologist, my nutritionist, my mentor, my SNC (power and conditioning) and your complete crew that has been tirelessly working with me. I believe that is for them,’ added Elavenil. 

The shooter expressed religion within the Indian contingent, which has already booked two medals on the opening day, saying that they will do their very best. 

‘I’m very positive has ready very properly, and they will be the epitome of their coaching, and I want all of them the very, perfect of luck,’ she signed off.

Also chatting with ANI after Elavenil’s medal-winning performances, her father R. Valarivan mentioned the silver medal was a proud second for your complete household and highlighted the help she obtained all through her journey.

‘We are very glad, as a result of it’s her 12 years’ onerous work, which paid off. She participated in Olympics, however narrowly she missed an Olympic medal final yr. And Asian Games, she bought it this yr. We are very glad,’ he mentioned.

R Valarivan mentioned Elavenil’s subsequent main purpose is to win an Olympic medal.

‘Her goal is to get a medal within the Olympics. So, subsequent time undoubtedly she might be getting that one. I search your needs and your blessings for her to get a medal within the Olympics,’ he mentioned.

Elavenil’s mom Saroja Valarivan mentioned the household watched the ultimate dwell and was pleased with her efficiency regardless of lacking out on the gold medal.

‘Elavenil Valarivan gained this morning. We have been watching the match dwell. She was on the high, which means there have been excessive hopes of her getting a gold. At the ultimate second, she secured the silver, however successful silver for India and for Gujarat has made us very glad,’ she informed ANI.

Meanwhile, Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod additionally expressed happiness at successful silver within the girls’s 10 m air rifle crew occasion and devoted her medal to her coach.

Speaking to ANI after the medal win, she mentioned, ‘I’m so glad and so grateful that we’ve got this medal. We bought the medal for India, for our nation, so I’m so proud.’

‘It took virtually eight years to come back right here to compete at this stage. The journey was very troublesome; I needed to make a number of sacrifices, a number of… I needed to face a number of failures. So the journey was very troublesome for me, however I used to be not prepared to surrender. That is how I’m right here,’ she added. 

She devoted her medal to her coach Manoj Kumar, calling him the ‘individual behind her success’. 

‘I’m dedicating my medal first to my coach, Manoj Kumar sir. He is the individual behind my success. Second, to my mother and father, my household, my husband, and my brother. So I’m dedicating it to them. And thirdly, to my sponsors: Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), and everyone who was there for me,’ she mentioned.

India’s double silver win additionally drew reward from the Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Murmu congratulated Valarivan, Vidarsa Vinod and Sonam Maskar for opening India’s medal account on the Games and expressed her finest needs for his or her future success.

‘Heartiest congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan, Vidarsa Ok Vinod and Sonam Uttam Maskar on successful Silver Medal within the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team occasion on the Asian Games 2026. Your commendable achievement has opened India’s medal account on the Games and brings immense satisfaction to the nation. My finest needs to your continued success,’ learn a put up on the President’s official deal with on X.

Meanwhile, PM Modi congratulated the trio on successful silver within the crew occasion, praising their onerous work and teamwork and saying their success would encourage future athletes.

‘Hardwork and teamwork result in an impressive outcome! Proud of Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa Ok Vinod for successful the Silver Medal on the Asian Games 2026 in 10m Air Rifle Women’s occasion. Their success will encourage a number of athletes within the coming occasions: PM,’ PMO mentioned in a put up on X.  

Both President Murmu and PM Modi additionally congratulated Valarivan after her silver medal-winning efficiency within the girls’s 10m air rifle particular person occasion.

With two silver medals on the opening day of the taking pictures competitors, India made a powerful begin to its marketing campaign on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The focus now shifts to the lads’s 10m Air Rifle occasions on Monday, the place the Indian contingent will look so as to add to its medal tally in each the person and crew competitions. (ANI)