Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian shooters Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod after the trio won a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Sunday. He also congratulated Elavenil for securing another silver medal in the individual event later in the day.
“Hard work and teamwork lead to an outstanding result! Proud of Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa K. Vinod for winning the Silver Medal at the Asian Games 2026 in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s event. Their success will inspire several athletes in the coming times,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a post on X.
The Indian trio accumulated 1,897 points to finish second behind China in the 16-team competition at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery. Japan claimed the bronze medal.
Elavenil and Sonam subsequently advanced to the individual final, with both shooters finishing among the top eight.
Elavenil then added another silver to her tally after finishing second in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final. Japan’s Hinata Taichi won the gold medal with an Asian Games record score of 253.0 points, while Elavenil finished with 252.4 points.
Elavenil remained in contention for the gold medal deep into the individual final before Taichi produced a decisive finish. The Indian shooter entered the final two shots with a 0.3-point advantage, but the Japanese shooter eventually edged ahead with her final shot.
Congratulating Elavenil on her second medal of the day, PM Modi said the achievement made the occasion even more special.
“Indian shooters keep making us proud! Congrats to Elavenil Valarivan for winning a Silver Medal in the 10m Air Rifle Women Individual event at the Asian Games. This was her second medal of the day, making this even more special. My best wishes to her for the endeavours ahead,” the PMO said.
(With IANS inputs)
