Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod Win Silver for India in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team Event

India opened its medal account at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 with a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, as Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod combined for a total of 1898.0 points in a closely contested competition in Japan.

The Indian trio finished just 0.9 points ahead of hosts Japan, who claimed the bronze medal with 1897.1 points. China took the gold medal with 1904.2 points, setting a new world record in the process.

For India, the silver marked the first medal of the 2026 Asian Games campaign and provided an early boost to the country's shooting contingent.

India finishes second behind world-record China

China produced an outstanding performance to take gold, recording 1904.2 points and setting a new world record in the event.

India finished second with 1898.0, while Japan ended the competition on 1897.1. The narrow gap between India and Japan made every shot significant, with just nine-tenths of a point separating the two teams on the podium.

The Indian team’s performance was built around contributions from three shooters with very different levels of experience.

Sonam Maskar was India's highest scorer in qualification, recording 634.1 points. Competing at her first Asian Games, Maskar finished third individually in the qualification standings and immediately made an impact on the continental stage.

Two-time Olympian Elavenil Valarivan contributed 633.5 points, while Asian Games debutant Vidarsa K Vinod added 630.4. Together, their scores took India to 1898.0 and secured the country's opening medal in Aichi-Nagoya.

The composition of the Indian team made the achievement particularly notable. Valarivan brought significant international experience to the line. A two-time Olympian, she has competed at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has established herself as one of India's leading 10m air rifle shooters over the past several years.

Maskar and Vinod, meanwhile, were making their Asian Games debuts.

Maskar's 634.1 was the highest score among the three Indian shooters in qualification, placing her third in the individual standings and helping India remain firmly in medal contention.

Vinod also made an important contribution with 630.4 points. Representing Kerala, she became part of a historic Indian team that combined experience and debutant energy to secure the country's first podium finish of the Games.

The result brought together shooters from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala, with three different sporting journeys converging on one medal-winning performance.

For Valarivan, the team silver added another Asian Games medal to an already distinguished career. Her introduction to shooting came at the age of 12, when she visited a shooting range with her father. What began as a casual introduction to the sport eventually developed into a professional career.

By 15, she had decided to pursue shooting seriously. Her breakthrough came in 2018 at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, where she broke the junior world record in qualification before winning gold in the 10m air rifle. She continued to progress through the junior ranks before moving into senior competition and winning major international titles.

Valarivan has since represented India at two Olympic Games and received the Arjuna Award in 2022.

At Aichi-Nagoya, her experience proved valuable as she joined forces with two athletes experiencing the Asian Games atmosphere for the first time.

The team event medal also had an immediate impact on the individual competition. Both Elavenil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar qualified for the women's 10m air rifle individual final, giving India two representatives in the medal round.

For Maskar, the individual qualification added another milestone to an already memorable Asian Games debut. Her 634.1-point qualification score placed her third, demonstrating her ability to compete alongside some of the leading shooters in the field.

Valarivan also advanced after shooting 633.5. The individual final therefore offered both Indian shooters another opportunity to compete for a medal after their successful team-event campaign.

India’s first medal of Aichi-Nagoya 2026

The women's 10m air rifle team silver is more than simply India's first medal at the 2026 Asian Games. It is also a reflection of the country's growing depth in shooting.

India's team featured an experienced Olympian alongside two Asian Games debutants, and together they produced a score that was enough to hold off the hosts by the smallest of margins.

China's world-record performance ultimately secured gold, but India's 1898.0 points ensured a silver medal and a strong start to the country's campaign.

Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod have therefore opened India's medal account at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event.

And with Valarivan and Maskar progressing to the individual final, India's shooting campaign had already promised another opportunity for the trio's success to be followed by further individual performances.