New Delhi: India made a strong start at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday as the women’s 10m air rifle team secured a silver medal, marking a major milestone for the nation’s contingent in Japan. The Indian trio comprising Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod combined for an impressive overall score of 1898 points to finish second on the podium behind China. Japan finished in fourth place, while Korea remained in contention with their final competitor completing her series.
Elavenil Valarivan led the charge with an exceptional individual display, firing 633.5 points to guide the squad toward the podium and comfortably seal her berth in the individual final. She will be joined in the medal round by teammate Sonam Maskar, who also advanced following a composed qualifying effort. The team silver effectively opened India’s shooting medal count at the continental multi-sport event and added to the nation’s growing momentum.
The shooting success followed another confirmed podium result earlier in the week courtesy of mixed martial artist Suchika Tariyal. Competing in the women’s traditional 60kg MMA division, Suchika punched her ticket to the semifinals on Friday with a hard-fought victory over Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in Nagoya. Baigalmaa pressed aggressively during the second and final round in an attempt to turn the bout around, but Suchika demonstrated resolute defensive composure under sustained attack.
Seizing her opportunity amid Baigalmaa’s onslaught, Suchika executed a decisive reversal to take the contest to the canvas. She maintained dominant ground control through the closing moments of the round to secure the win, ensuring a semifinal appearance and guaranteeing a medal for India. Together, the performances on the shooting range and in the cage have provided India with a promising start at the Games.
