India opened their Asian Games 2026 medal account with a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event on Sunday, September 20. The shooting contingent made an impressive start as Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa Vinod combined to finish second in the women’s final.
Sonam and Elavenil led India to an aggregate score of 1898.0, with China taking gold after producing a dominant performance and breaking the qualification world record with 1904.2 points. China surpassed its previous mark of 1902.0, set at the Asian Championships in Shymkent in August last year, which had also been the Asian record.
India and hosts Japan were closely matched in the fight for the remaining medals, but the Indian shooters held their composure under pressure. Japan secured bronze with 1897.1 points, finishing just 0.9 points behind India after a tense battle for silver.
HOW ARE TEAM MEDALS DECIDED IN SHOOTING?
Team medals are determined using the qualification scores of all three shooters, with their combined total deciding the final rankings. Sonam, who finished third in qualification, was India’s top scorer with 634.1 points. Olympian Elavenil, competing at her third Asian Games, scored 633.5 to finish seventh. Vidarsa, making her Asian Games debut, registered 630.4 points and finished 12th.
VIDARSA PUTS OUT CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
Although Vidarsa did not make the individual final, her score played an important role in India’s silver-medal finish.
"Yes, it's a great achievement. It's another thing that I could not qualify for the final, but the team silver has given us a good start," Vidarsa told PTI after the event.
The 27-year-old from Kerala also displayed strong composure on the international stage and said she was not overwhelmed by the occasion.
"I was not nervous. I was confident and just focused on my shooting," she said.
Vidarsa’s performance was particularly impressive considering she had taken up the 10m air rifle event only two months earlier. Her main discipline is the 50m rifle 3-positions event, but she quickly adjusted to air rifle and produced a score that helped India remain ahead of Japan in a closely fought team competition.
"I am definitely confident that I will do much better in 50m 3-positions as it is my main event," she said.
The day also saw Sonam and Elavenil qualify for the individual final, giving India another chance to add to its medal haul later on Sunday.
Sonam’s third-place qualification finish and Elavenil’s seventh-place position put both Indians among the eight shooters advancing to the final, raising the possibility of another medal.
China once again demonstrated its strength in the event. Teenage junior world champion Wang Zifei topped qualification with a remarkable 638.8, setting a new Asian qualification record. Han Jiyan also secured a place in the final after scoring 633.8 to finish fifth.
China had three shooters among the qualification spots for the final, but only two athletes from each country can compete in the individual medal round, meaning its third shooter was eliminated.
