Elavenil Valarivan delivered exactly the start India’s shooting contingent needed at Asian Games 2026, opening the country’s medal account with two silver medals on the very first day of competition in Aichi-Nagoya.
## The Results
Valarivan finished second in the women’s 10m air rifle individual event, and also won silver in the team event alongside Sonam Uttam Maskar and Games debutant Vidarsa Vinod. Both results came behind China, which has dominated the medal standings across multiple sports at these Games.
## Why This Start Mattered
As one of India’s headline shooters heading into Aichi-Nagoya, Valarivan’s twin silvers set an immediate tone for the rest of the 30-member shooting squad, which went on to add further medals through Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil and Parth Mane in the men’s competition. Our full breakdown of the shooting team’s results covers the wider campaign.
## Building on Past Success
Valarivan’s performance continues India’s strong recent history in shooting at the Games, a discipline that delivered an unprecedented 22 medals, including seven gold, at the 2023 Hangzhou edition.
## What’s Next
With shooting competition continuing through October 1 across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, Valarivan may yet have further opportunities to add to her tally, depending on her event schedule for the remainder of the Games.
## The Bigger Picture
Her results form part of a broader Indian shooting campaign that has already delivered five of the country’s first seven medals at these Games. Our full medal tally breakdown tracks the sport’s continued progress.
## The Bottom Line
Two silver medals on day one gave India’s campaign genuine early momentum, and Valarivan’s consistency across both individual and team competition marks her as one of the contingent’s most reliable performers heading into Aichi-Nagoya 2026.