Indian shooters demonstrated outstanding performance at the Asian Games 2026, securing their first medal for the country on September 20 (Sunday). India won the silver medal in the team event of 10-meter air rifle shooting.
The Indian team consisted of Ilavelil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Kochulamkal Vinod. These three shooters delivered excellent results, earning India the silver award.
At the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery range, the Indian team scored a total of 1898.0 points after six shooting series, placing second.
The gold medal was won by the Chinese team, comprising Jifei Wang, Jiayu Han, and Yuchen Du, who scored a record 1904.2 points. The bronze medal went to the Japanese team, including Hinata Taichi, Misaki Nobatu, and Shiori Hirata, with a score of 1897.1 points.
Indian shooters Ilavelil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar also qualified for the individual final in 10-meter air rifle shooting. In the qualification round, Sonam Maskar placed third with 634.1 points, and Ilavelil placed seventh with 633.5 points. The leader in the qualification was Jifei Wang from China with a score of 636.8 points.
In the 10-meter air rifle team event, the Indian squad showed strong play from the beginning. The team successfully reached the podium, demonstrating accurate shooting under pressure. Thanks to the combined efforts of the three athletes, including Ilavelil Valarivan, who has extensive international experience, as well as Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, India managed to win silver in this discipline.
Shooting remains one of the main sports bringing medals to India at the Asian Games. This success of the Indian shooters in Nagoya is important for the country's overall medal tally. The results of the Indian shooters at the Asian Games 2026 raise expectations for future medals.
