Full Breakdown
Indian Shooters Secure Double Silver on Opening Day of Asian Games 2026
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Opening Success in Women’s 10 m Air Rifle
On September 20, 2026, the Indian women’s 10 m air-rifle trio — Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod — won the team silver with a combined score of 1,898.0 points, finishing behind China (1904.2) and ahead of host Japan (1897.1). Later the same day Valarivan captured an individual silver in the eight-shooter final, posting 252.4 points to Japan’s Hinata Taichi’s gold-winning 253.0 points; South Korea’s Ban Hyojin took bronze with 230.4 points.
Background & Context
India entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games after a record haul of 22 shooting medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze) at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. The strong showing in Hangzhou set high expectations for the 2026 edition, and the opening-day double silver marked the nation’s first medal of the current Games.
Data & Statistics
- Team event: India 1898.0 points (Valarivan 633.5, Maskar 634.1, Vinod 630.4) – silver; China 1904.2 points – gold; Japan 1897.1 points – bronze.
- Individual final: Valarivan 252.4 points (silver); Taichi 253.0 points (gold, new Games record); Ban Hyojin 230.4 points (bronze).
- Qualification scores: Maskar 634.1 points (3rd overall, secured an individual final berth); Valarivan 633.5 points (7th, also qualified); Vinod 630.4 points (12th, missed the final).
Official Statements & Responses
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya praised the achievement on social media, noting that the team silver represented India’s first medal of the Games and expressing confidence in the shooters’ continued success. Vidarsa Vinod described the team silver as a “great achievement” that provided a strong start to the competition and underscored her confidence despite not reaching the individual final.
Verbatim Quotes
- “India’s first medal at #AsianGames2026! Congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar & Vidarsa K Vinod on securing Silver in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team event. Wishing our champions and the entire Indian contingent many more moments of glory,” — Mansukh Mandaviya, union sports minister
- “Yes, it's a great achievement. It's another thing that I could not qualify for the final, but the team silver has given us a good start,” — Vidarsa
Why It Matters
The double silver reinforces India’s reputation as a shooting powerhouse in Asia and sustains momentum after the Hangzhou triumphs. By securing medals in both the team and individual formats on the opening day, the shooters have placed the Indian contingent among the early leaders in the overall medal table, boosting morale for upcoming events.
What’s Next
- Mixed-team 10 m air-rifle: Valarivan is slated to partner with Parth Mane on September 22.
- Additional Indian shooters—including Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, Suruchi Singh, Rudrankksh Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka—remain in contention across pistol, rifle and shotgun disciplines throughout the Games.
The opening-day performance sets a high bar for the remainder of the Asian Games shooting programme, with the Indian team poised to add further medals.