Asian Shooting Championships 2025 Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan delivered a performance of remarkable poise and precision to clinch the gold medal in women’s 10m air rifle at the Asian Shooting Championships on Friday.
The 26-year-old posted a score of 253.6 in the final, edging past China’s Peng Xin Lu and South Korea’s Kwon Eun Ji to secure the top spot on the podium. This marks Elavenil’s second consecutive individual medal at the continental stage, improving on her silver from the 2024 edition to become the new Asian Champion in 2025.
The women’s 10m air rifle final is among the most competitive events in the shooting circuit, with margins often coming down to tenths of a point. Elavenil, who has represented India on the international stage for nearly a decade, displayed her trademark calmness in the Changwon finals. Her lowest shot across the 24 finals attempts was a 10.0, an indicator of consistency in a high-pressure environment. In the closing stages, where nerves typically play a decisive role, Elavenil strung together a sequence of steady 10.4s and 10.5s to protect her lead.
With a final score of 253.6, she finished comfortably ahead of China’s Peng Xin Lu (252.3) and South Korea’s Kwon Eun Ji (231.1), ensuring the Indian tricolour flew high in one of shooting’s most prestigious continental competitions.
Clearing the Air: No World Record
The live broadcast briefly flashed Elavenil’s score as a new world record, leading to confusion on social media. However, the official ISSF database confirms otherwise. The standing world record in women’s 10m air rifle remains 254.8, set earlier this year by China’s Wang Zifei at the Munich World Cup 2025. Elavenil’s 253.6, while among the top scores in the event’s history, does not surpass that mark.
Regardless, her victory underlines India’s depth in women’s rifle shooting and adds another major title to her résumé.
Elavenil’s gold also provided a much-needed spark for the Indian senior contingent, which has endured a relatively quiet outing at these Asian Championships compared to junior and youth categories.
- Mehuli Ghosh, Elavenil’s compatriot , came agonizingly close to the podium but had to settle for fourth place with a score of 208.9.
- In the team event, the Indian women’s trio fought hard to secure a bronze medal, adding to the tally in rifle shooting.
- With Elavenil’s triumph, India now has three senior golds at the ongoing championships, joining the victories of Skeet shooter Anantjeet Singh Naruka and 10m Air Rifle Men Team rifle success earlier in the week.
For Elavenil, this title reaffirms her status as one of India’s most dependable rifle shooters in the post-Tokyo Olympic cycle. A product of the Gagan Narang academy system, she has steadily built her reputation over the past decade winning the ISSF World Cup title in 2019, competing at the Tokyo Olympics, and consistently being part of India’s medal-winning squads. The 2024 silver at the Asian Championships had left her hungry for more, and the 2025 victory shows both growth and resilience. The ability to hold composure in the final series, with medals on the line, is precisely what separates champions from the rest.
With the Asian crown now in her bag, Elavenil’s focus will shift to upcoming ISSF World Cup stages and, more importantly, the road to Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. While India has an impressive roster of young rifle shooters including Mehuli Ghosh, Ramita Jindal, and Tilottama Sen Elavenil’s experience continues to be invaluable to the squad. Her latest success is also timely for Indian shooting as the federation looks to consolidate senior-level performances after a mixed campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Elavenil Valarivan’s victory in Changwon is more than just another gold medal. It represents India’s ability to produce world-class rifle shooters consistently and underlines the resilience of an athlete who has stayed relevant in a fiercely competitive discipline. For Indian fans, it was a moment of pride: watching the tricolor rise as Elavenil stood tall on the podium, officially crowned the Asian Champion in women’s 10m air rifle.
Final Standings : Women’s 10m Air Rifle, Asian Championships 2025
Gold Elavenil Valarivan (India) – 253.6
Silver Peng Xin Lu (China) – 252.3
Bronze Kwon Eun Ji (South Korea) – 231.1
4️⃣ Mehuli Ghosh (India) – 208.9
