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Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday hailed Indian shooters Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod for winning silver in the Womens 10m Air Rifle Team event, securing Indias first medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
The Indian trio scored 1898.0 points to win silver, finishing behind China, which claimed gold with a world-record 1904.2 points. Host Japan took bronze with 1897.1 points. "Indias first medal at #AsianGames2026! Congratulations to Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar & Vidarsa K Vinod on securing Silver in the Womens 10m Air Rifle Team event. Wishing our champions and the entire Indian contingent many more moments of glory," Mandaviya wrote in an X post. https://x.com/mansukhmandviya/status/2101544895957905661?s=20 The result marked Indias first confirmed medal at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Earlier, MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal became the first Indian athlete to assure a medal by advancing to the semifinals of the womens Traditional MMA 60kg competition, where both losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals. Sonam emerged as Indias top scorer in the team event with 634.1 points, while Elavenil contributed 633.5 and Vidarsa 630.4, taking the Indian teams combined tally to 1898.0 points. India had more reason to celebrate as Elavenil and Sonam also advanced to the individual final. Their qualifying scores placed both shooters among the top eight finalists in the individual womens 10m air rifle competition. The two Indians will now have another opportunity to add to the countrys medal tally when they compete in the eight-woman individual 10m air rifle final later on Sunday. (ANI)
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