New Delhi: Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan delivered a calm and clinical display to claim the women’s 10m air rifle gold medal at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on Friday. The 26-year-old who is known for her composure under pressure shot 253.6 in the final to take the top spot on the podium.
For Valarivan, this was a special moment as it marked her second individual gold at the continental level. Her first came back in 2019 in Taiwan when she was still developing her skills under Olympic medallist Gagan Narang at the Gun for Glory Academy.
Shooting, Asian Championships: Elavenil Valarivan creates history at the 16th Asian Shooting championships in Shymkent as she secures a brilliant gold with a WR in the finals of the women’s 10m AR event.. A total of 253.6 for her in the finals!
Well done Ela.. 👏🇮🇳🥇 pic.twitter.com/2Ay9zYNlN1
— Vishank Razdan (@VishankRazdan) August 22, 2025
China’s Xinlu Peng pushed Valarivan close but had to settle for silver with a score of 253. Korea’s Eunji Kwon finished third after managing 231.2. India nearly has two shooters in the medals, but Mehuli Ghosh, despite a promising run, ended in fourth spot with 208.9.
Interestingly, Valarivan only scraped into the final in eighth place with 630.7. Ghosh, who was 10th with 630.3, made it through after higher-ranked compatriots Arya Borse and Sonam Maskar stepped aside as they were competing solely for ranking points.
India’s strong run continues
Valarivan’s success was India’s second senior individual gold of the competition, after Anantjeet Singh Naruka triumphed in men’s skeet. Earlier, Manu Bhaker had taken bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol, while junior shooters have dominated the medal tally.
The young trio of Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur and Isha Anil impressed in the junior women’s 10m air rifle event, winning team gold with a combined score of 1896.2, setting a new world and Asian record.
Looking ahead
Valarivan’s latest triumph underlines her status as one of India’s most reliable rifle shooters. Currently ranked 11th in the world, she is poised to break back into the top 10, a position she knows well having previously been world No. 1.
With the Asian Games and ISSF World Championships on the horizon, Valarivan will be eager to carry the form. While she has won medals in team events, an individual podium at the Worlds or the Asian Games still eludes her. With her steady progress and reputation she looks determined to change that.