India at Asian Games 2026: Can Elavenil, Sonam and Vidarsa Add to India’s 10m Air Rifle Legacy?

India’s shooting contingent will once again carry significant expectations at the Asian Games, and the women’s 10m air rifle individual event offers another opportunity to add to the country’s growing medal tally. 

At the 2026 Asian Games, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod will represent India in a field featuring 59 shooters in total. The event will follow a familiar qualification-to-final format, leaving little room for error across the opening six series. For the three Indian shooters, the first objective will be to negotiate the qualification round and secure one of the eight places available in the final.

However, there is an additional restriction that makes the qualification battle even more intense. Only two shooters from any one country can advance to the final. That means even if all three Indian shooters finish inside the overall top eight, one of them would still be eliminated if the other two occupy the two highest Indian positions. The qualification round will therefore be about both individual consistency and finishing high enough among the Indian trio.

India’s history in the women’s 10m air rifle individual event at the Asian Games is relatively limited. The country has won just one medal in the event so far a bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, courtesy of Ramita Jindal.

Ramita’s performance in 2022 provides an interesting benchmark for the current generation. In qualification, she shot 631.9 to finish second and comfortably progressed to the final. Mehul Ghosh also made the final after scoring 630.8 and finishing fifth, while Ashi Chouksey missed out after a score of 623.3 placed her 28th.

In the final, Ramita produced another strong performance, scoring 230.1 to finish third and claim the bronze medal. Mehul finished fourth with 208.3. The result showed how fine the margins can be once the competition moves into the medal round. Four years later, India will look to Elavenil, Sonam and Vidarsa to push that legacy forward.

Elavenil Valarivan brings considerable experience to the event and will be one of the Indian shooters expected to handle the pressure of a major multi-sport competition. The 10m air rifle event is one in which consistency is crucial, with qualification decided over six series and every dropped point potentially affecting the final ranking. Sonam Uttam Maskar will also be among the Indian names to watch. With only two qualification spots available to shooters from each nation, her battle will not only be against the wider Asian field but also against her own teammates for a place in the final.

For Vidarsa K. Vinod, the Asian Games will provide an important opportunity to make an impact on one of the continent’s biggest sporting stages. The qualification format means there is no margin for a slow start. Across the six series, the emphasis will be on maintaining concentration and avoiding the kind of fluctuations that can quickly push a shooter down the standings. The final, meanwhile, will be an entirely different test. Getting through qualification is only the first hurdle. Once the field is reduced to eight, the pressure increases substantially, with the medals decided under the spotlight of a major international competition.

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India’s 2022 experience demonstrates that the country is capable of producing a podium finish in this event. Ramita’s bronze was followed by Mehul Ghosh finishing fourth, giving India two shooters inside the top four. The current trio will hope to replicate that level of competitiveness while going one step further and challenging for gold.

The competition schedule places the qualification and final on September 24, making it one of the key days for India’s shooting campaign. The three Indian shooters will first have to navigate the qualification round before the finalists return for the medal battle. For India, the equation is straightforward but demanding: produce six consistent series, finish among the leading shooters, and ensure that at least two Indians occupy the qualifying positions. Once in the final, the contest resets in many ways, and a strong qualification score alone will not guarantee a medal.

The women’s 10m air rifle individual event may have produced only one Asian Games medal for India so far, but the country has repeatedly demonstrated its strength in shooting. Elavenil, Sonam and Vidarsa now have the opportunity to write the next chapter.

The target is clear first make the final, then fight for the podium. And after Ramita Jindal’s bronze in 2022, India will be hoping that the next medal in the event is a different colour.