SportsPosted at: Sep 20 2026 5:44PM


Sonam, Elavenil, Vidarsa shoot India to Asian Games silver

Nagoya, Sept 20 (UNI) India opened its medal account at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event as Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa K Vinod combined for a strong second-place finish here on Sunday.
The Indian trio aggregated 1898.0 points to secure the silver, finishing just 0.9 points ahead of hosts Japan, who took bronze with 1897.1. China won the gold with 1904.2 points, setting a new world record in the qualification round.
China's Wang Zifei, Han Jiayu and Du Du Yechen surpassed the previous world record of 1902.0, set by another Chinese trio at the 2025 Asian Championships.
India remained in contention throughout the qualification. The trio scored 316.9 in the opening series, followed by 316.8, 317.9, 316.2, 314.8 and 315.4 in the subsequent series to finish with an aggregate of 1898.0.
Sonam was India's highest scorer with 634.1 points, while Elavenil contributed 633.5 and Vidarsa 630.4.
Sonam finished fourth in the individual qualification standings and Elavenil seventh, with both advancing to the eight-shooter individual final. Vidarsa finished 12th among 55 competitors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian trio on their achievement, saying their hard work and teamwork had produced an outstanding result.
"Proud of Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa K Vinod for winning the Silver Medal at the Asian Games 2026 in 10m Air Rifle Women’s event. Their success will inspire several athletes in the coming times," Modi said in a post on X.
The silver was India's first medal at the 2026 Asian Games and provided an early boost to the country's shooting campaign.
The team medal also gave Sonam and Elavenil another opportunity to add to India's tally, with both shooters progressing to the individual final later on Sunday.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Sonam# Elavenil# Vidarsa shoot India to Asian Games silver
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