21 September,2026 08:31 AM IST | Aichi-Nagoya | Sundeep Misra
India’s Elavenil Valarivan competes in the women’s 10m air rifle event in Nagoya on Sunday. Pics/PTI
[popcorn number="1898.0" desc="Total number of points scored by the Indian trio of Sonam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan, and Vidarsa Vinod to win team silver" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="252.4" desc="Total number of points scored by Elavenil Valarivan to secure silver in the women's 10m air rifle individual event" class="Default"]
At some point, for all of us, in different shapes and forms, time compresses. For Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan, it compressed and fused into silver. In the span of sixty minutes, raw potential transformed into a podium finish, and when the dust settled on the shooting range, the 27-year-old had captured two Asian Games silver medals, the 10m team and individual air rifle. The rhythm of her career had taken an upward beat.
The sequence began with the women's 10m air rifle team event. Partnering with Vidarsa K Vinod and Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil spearheaded India's charge with a brilliant score of 633.5 in qualification. Together, the trio accumulated 1898.0 points to secure silver behind powerhouse China. In a tough field at the Asian Games level, immediate transitions keep the momentum alive. Before the echoes of the camera shutters had even faded from the podium, Elavenil was back under the glare of the hall lights. From the team player, the individual stepped forward.
For much of the final, she held a commanding lead, executing under pressure. Everyone sees a finish line, but crossing it successfully often depends on a fraction of a decimal. A late slip, a 9.9, followed by a final 10.1, pushed her just 0.6 points behind Japan's Hinata Taichi. The gold slipped away, but she locked down another silver with a score of 252.4.
"I think somewhere I knew that I was in the top 3. And although I was coming back to focusing on my process and my technique, I did get a bit relaxed. I think I really need to work on my finals some more," said Elavenil, not despondent, but educated.
Transitioning from celebrating a team silver to understanding the error of a single stray shot is a lesson far greater than hundreds of hours spent at a range. Rather than dwelling on what she had lost, she was all gratitude and maturity. "I think post-Paris it has been this," she said. "And I am very grateful that I have been getting many opportunities to learn, experiment, and utilise my potential to my absolute best."
Back-to-back intense competitive tests test you like nothing else, the relentless nature of modern shooting. Beyond securing two silvers, her maturity lay in looking forward, slowly shutting out the noise, and eyeing fresh targets, like a World Championship gold.
"I think that is the goal that I would start working on once I get to recover and rejuvenate myself."
Once she gets some time to herself, unpacks her medal boxes, and delicately takes out the silver to caress them, she will realise how fundamentally her life has shifted. In the most important 60 minutes of her life, she became an Asian Games double silver medallist - validating years of hard work and writing a fresh script for her shooting career.
