Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on 22 August 2025. The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu scored 253.6 in the final, setting a new Asian record, surpassing Apurvi Chandela’s 2019 mark of 252.9. This marks her second gold at the continental event, following her first in Taiwan in 2019.
Valarivan’s performance was remarkable, despite battling fever and body ache. She qualified seventh for the final with a score of 630.7, just ahead of compatriot Mehuli Ghosh, who scored 630.3 and finished fourth in the eight-shooter final. Two other Indians, Arya Borse (633.2) and Sonam Maskar (630.5), stepped aside after qualifying, as they competed for ranking points only.
China’s Xinlu Peng took silver with 253, while Korea’s Eunji Kwon earned bronze with 231.2. Valarivan’s gold was India’s second senior individual gold at the championship, following Anantjeet Singh Naruka’s win in men’s skeet. Manu Bhaker also secured a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol.
India’s junior shooters shone brightly, with Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur, and Isha Anil clinching the women’s junior 10m air rifle team gold, setting a junior world and Asian record with a combined score of 1896.2. China and South Korea took silver and bronze, respectively.
Valarivan, a consistent performer in World Cups and season-ending World Cup Finals, is currently ranked 11th globally. She has previously held the world number one ranking in her category. Known for her focus and mental strength, she aims for success at the ISSF World Championships and next year’s Asian Games, where she is yet to win individual honours.
Despite her illness, Valarivan remained composed in the final, with her lowest shot at 10.0. She expressed mixed feelings about her performance, noting to TOI, “I could have done better in the qualification. I was struggling with fever till Thursday, but today was manageable. The final had good competition.”
This victory adds to Valarivan’s legacy, honed under Olympic medallist Gagan Narang at his Gun for Glory Academy. Her first individual podium finish in this championship, after earlier team silver and bronze, signals her readiness for bigger challenges ahead.
