Elavenil Valarivan wins double silver at Asian Games

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.