India’s Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan secured the gold medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships.
The pair overcame early setbacks to outclass China’s Dingke Lu and Xinlu Peng with a final score of 17–11.
The Chinese team initially led the match, capitalising on India’s shaky start with shots of 9.5 and 10.1. However, Babuta and Valarivan regrouped swiftly, delivering a series of high-scoring rounds that turned the tide in India’s favour.
This victory marks Elavenil’s second gold at the championship, following her triumph in the individual 10m air rifle women’s event. Earlier in the tournament, Babuta also contributed to India’s success in the men’s team event alongside Rudrankksh Patil and Kiran Jadhav.
India’s consistent performance in Shymkent underscores its growing dominance in Asian shooting sports, with young sharpshooters continuing to shine on the international stage.
