Valarivan earned her first individual podium, after already claiming silver and bronze medals in team events
Shymkent
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan made the country proud by winning the women’s 10m air rifle gold medal at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships on Friday. The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu shot 253.6 points in the final to claim the top spot, showing her calm and steady focus under pressure.
This was Valarivan’s first individual podium finish in the ongoing event, after already winning a silver and bronze in the team categories. Earlier, she had won her first Asian Championship gold in 2019, while training under Olympic medallist Gagan Narang at his Gun for Glory Academy.
China’s Xinlu Peng took the silver medal with 253 points, and Korea’s Eunji Kwon won bronze with 231.2. Another Indian, Mehuli Ghosh, narrowly missed a medal and finished fourth with 208.9. Valarivan had earlier qualified for the final in eighth position with 630.7.
This victory marks only India’s second senior individual gold in the tournament so far. Earlier, Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the men’s skeet event, while double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker earned a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol.
The juniors also continued their strong performance. Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur, and Isha Anil clinched team gold in the women’s junior 10m air rifle, setting both Asian and world records with a score of 1896.2.
Currently ranked 11th in the world, Valarivan is expected to enter the top-10 again. Known for her strong mental focus, she now looks forward to the ISSF World Championships and the Asian Games, where she still seeks her first individual medal.
