Elavenil, Sonam, Vidarsa: 3 unique paths to India’s 1st Asian Games 2026 medal

India secured its first medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 by winning silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event, with a combined score of 1898 points. Three women played a unique role in reaching the shooting range near Toyota City. Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod each pursued different paths to achieve this milestone.

Elavenil, born in Cuddalore and raised in Ahmedabad, initially tried various sports before discovering shooting through a friend's daughter. Despite her parents being academics, she became a two-time Olympian and the senior member of this team. Elavenil scored 633.5 points in the final, securing India's victory by just ahead of the host team, Japan.

Sonam Maskar, a 24-year-old commerce graduate from Mumbai, took up shooting as a hobby while studying. Financial difficulties forced her father to sell a family property to buy her necessary equipment. Despite challenges, Sonam excelled, achieving the highest individual score among the three, with 634.1 points.

Vidarsa Vinod's journey was the least conventional. Growing up in Kerala, she joined the NCC and later trained on borrowed equipment while hoping for a government job. After moving to Delhi to train at a shooting range, Vidarsa faced significant financial challenges and contemplated quitting. However, with support from her family and coach, she persisted and entered the SAI National Centre of Excellence. She secured the third spot in the final with 597.6 points.