Indian shooting ace Elavenil Valarivan struck gold in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu showcased her trademark poise and precision, scoring 253.6 in the final to top the podium.
This marks Valarivan’s first individual medal at the ongoing championship, adding to her earlier silver and bronze in team events. China’s Xinlu Peng secured silver with 253 points, while Korea’s Eunji Kwon took bronze with 231.2.
Valarivan, who trained under Olympic medallist Gagan Narang, previously won gold at the 2019 edition in Taiwan. Her latest triumph reaffirms her status as one of India’s most consistent rifle shooters, currently ranked 11th globally and poised to re-enter the top 10.
India’s Mehuli Ghosh finished fourth, while Arya Borse and Sonam Maskar stepped aside to allow Valarivan and Ghosh to compete for medals. The win also contributes to India’s strong overall showing, especially in junior categories, where records continue to tumble.
With her sights now set on the ISSF World Championships and the upcoming Asian Games, Valarivan’s gold adds momentum to India’s shooting campaign on the global stage.
