Asian Games 2026 Shooting medals: Double Olympic medallist Elavenil Valarivan wins two silvers; here’s all about Tamil Nadu-born Arjuna Award shooter

Elavenil Valarivan narrowly missed out on gold in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing with silver after a strong performance and a cumulative score of 252.4.

Japan’s Taichi Hinata claimed gold with 253.0, while South Korea’s Ban Hyojin secured bronze with 230.4.

The 27-year-old Indian shooter remained in contention for the top spot throughout the final but finished just 0.6 points behind Hinata. The silver adds to the medal she had already won in the team event and further highlights her consistent performance at the Games.

Who is Elavenil?

Elavenil Valarivan has two Olympic appearances, more than a dozen World Cups, World Championships and Asian Championships, and nine years of shooting experience behind her.

That makes the Ahmedabad-based shooter one of India’s most experienced names in the sport. Yet, she entered the 10m air rifle competitions at the Asian Games in Nagoya-Aichi, Japan, with the excitement of a fresher. Born to Tamil parents, Elavenil grew up in Ahmedabad and took up shooting at the age of 13. Since then, she has competed at the highest level and won several medals, but her focus is no longer limited to chasing podium finishes.

Additionally, the ace shooter has also been conferred with Arjuna Award. It is the most prestigious award which is given to people who have achieved outstanding feats in the field of sports.