Asian Games 2026: India Opens Medal Tally with Silver in Women's 10m Air Rifle Team Event
India opened its medal tally at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event. The Indian trio consisting of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, and Vidarsa K. Vinod produced a stellar collective performance to secure the podium finish on the first day of official competition.
The Indian team combined for a total score of 1,898.0 points in the qualification round. Sonam Maskar led the scoring for India with 634.1 points, while Elavenil Valarivan shot 633.5 points and Vidarsa Vinod added 630.4 points. Strong competition saw China set a world record score of 1,904.2 points to claim the gold medal, while host country Japan secured the bronze medal with 1,897.1 points, finishing just 0.9 points behind the Indian team.
Building on the team success, Elavenil Valarivan delivered another outstanding performance in the individual 10m air rifle event, capturing a silver medal for India. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the shooters for bringing early honour to the nation at the continental sporting extravaganza.
