# Elavenil Valarivan wins double silver at Asian Games 2026-09-20T17:17:17+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan won two silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle event at the Asian Games in Aichi, Japan, on Sunday. She secured a silver in the team event and another in the individual final, where she led for most of the competition but was overtaken by Japan's Taichi Hinata. The 27-year-old admitted she relaxed too early, saying she needs to work on her finals performance. Her coach Neha Chavan praised her mental resilience and noted that extensive planning over six to seven months contributed to the result. Elavenil said she has learned to enjoy the sport more after past disappointments at the 2018 Asian Games and the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. She credited her support team of coach, psychologist, and trainers for helping her through periods of self-doubt. Fellow shooter Sonam Maskar, who finished outside medal contention, said she would focus on improving her process. Vidarsa K. Vinod expressed disappointment at missing the final but said she fought hard. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three sources report the same result, but their framing differs. The Hindu leads with Elavenil's admission of letting gold slip, focusing on the missed opportunity. The New Indian Express emphasises the coach's perspective on planning and hard work, presenting the medals as a triumph of long-term strategy. Times Now highlights Elavenil's emotional journey and self-doubt, framing the achievement as personal redemption. The combined coverage gives a complete picture: a strong performance with room for improvement in finals. The shooter's own words across sources confirm the pattern of early leads followed by late stumbles, a technical point for her to address before the World Championships. The next major test for Elavenil will be the upcoming World Championships, where qualification standards are expected to be high. ## Coverage - thehindu.com (neutral report) Leads with shooter's candid admission of easing up, but reports facts without editorialising. - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Focuses on coach's praise and planning, no critical or favourable slant towards government. - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Highlights shooter's emotional recovery and self-doubt, but straight reporting of her quotes. Tags: Asian Games, Elavenil Valarivan, Gagan Narang, Neha Chavan, Sonam Maskar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/elavenil-valarivan-wins-two-silvers-at-asian-games/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/elavenil-valarivan-wins-two-silvers-at-asian-games/#story-in-brief