New Delhi: Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan clinched the gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship on Friday, delivering a calm and commanding performance in the final.
The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu, already a World Cup gold medallist, shot 253.6 to secure her second career Asian Championship gold, the first having come in 2019. China’s Xinlu Peng took silver with 253, while Korea’s Eunji Kwon settled for bronze with 231.2.
This triumph marked Valarivan’s first individual podium finish at the ongoing event, after winning a silver and bronze earlier in the team competitions. Compatriot Mehuli Ghosh finished fourth with 208.9.
Valarivan had only just scraped into the final, qualifying in eighth position with 630.7. Ghosh, initially placed 10th, made the cut after higher-placed Indians Arya Borse (633.2) and Sonam Maskar (630.5) stepped aside as ranking-only competitors.
Her victory is only the second senior individual gold for India at the tournament, after Anantjeet Singh Naruka’s win in men’s skeet. Earlier, Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker had claimed bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol.
India’s junior shooters continued their stellar run, with Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur, and Isha Anil clinching team gold in junior women’s 10m air rifle with a combined 1896.2, setting both an Asian and world junior record. China and South Korea secured silver and bronze respectively.
Valarivan, currently ranked world no. 11, is expected to re-enter the top-10 after this win. Known for her focus and composure under pressure, the former world no. 1 now eyes success at the ISSF World Championships and next year’s Asian Games major titles still missing from her individual cabinet.
