Aichi, Sept 2026 : India opened its medal account at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday after the women’s 10m air rifle team of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal clinched the silver medal at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery.
The Indian trio accumulated 1897 points in the 16-team competition to finish second behind China. The Chinese team secured the gold medal with a world-record score of 1904.2, while hosts Japan took the bronze with 1897.1.
The medal marked India’s first completed medal-winning performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Earlier in the day, India had already assured itself of a medal after mixed martial artist Suchika Tariyal advanced to the semifinals of the women’s Traditional 60kg category.
The Indian shooting trio maintained a strong and consistent performance throughout the team event. They began with 316.9 points in the opening series before adding 316.8 in the second. Their best performance came in the third series, where they combined for 317.9 points to take their overall tally to 951.6.
India added 316.2 points in the fourth series, taking its total to 1267.8. The team slipped slightly in the penultimate series, scoring 314.8, before finishing strongly with 315.4 in the final series. The Indian trio eventually finished on 1897 points, narrowly ahead of Japan’s 1897.1 score.
In the individual qualification event, Elavenil and Sonam also advanced to the final after impressive performances. Sonam finished third among the 57 competitors with 634.1 points, while Elavenil secured seventh place with 633.5. Vidarsa finished 12th with 630.4 points.
Valarivan brings considerable international experience to the Indian shooting team. She is a two-time ISSF World Cup gold medallist, having won the top prize in 2019 and 2023.
Sonam has also enjoyed success on the international circuit, winning three silver medals at the ISSF World Cup Final, including two in 2024.
India’s shooters had produced a record medal haul at the 2023 Asian Games, winning 22 medals comprising seven gold, nine silver and six bronze. The women’s 10m air rifle team’s silver in Aichi-Nagoya provides an early boost to India’s campaign and adds another medal to the country’s growing shooting record at the continental Games.
