Elavenil Valarivan Reveals Unique Training Plan Behind Double Silver Medal Haul
Rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan opened India's medal account on Day 1 of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, clinching two silver medals.
- Elavenil Valarivan won two silver medals on Day 1 of Asian Games 2026 in shooting
- She secured silver in both the team and individual rifle events at Aichi-Nagoya
- Her coach Ronak Pandit prepared her with training simulating Nagoya conditions in Bhopal
Rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan opened India's medal account on Day 1 of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, clinching two silver medals. She first helped India secure silver in the team event before adding another silver in the individual competition later in the day. The Tamil Nadu-born shooter entered the final as one of the favourites for gold but eventually had to settle for silver, with Japan's Hinata Taichi emerging victorious. Following her historic double-medal feat, Elavenil spoke to NDTV about her memorable outing at the Asian Games and the lessons she drew from the experience.
Elavenil also shed light on the unique preparation overseen by her high-performance coach, Ronak Pandit, who designed a training programme in Bhopal to replicate the conditions she would face in Nagoya.
"We tried to replicate the conditions we were going to face in Aichi-Nagoya while training in Bhopal. We started waking up early, going to the range early and even taking a longer route to the range to simulate the exact experience here. This helped us understand how our bodies would recover after long travel and early starts. These preparations definitely helped me settle into my routine quickly once we arrived in Japan," Elavenil told NDTV.
The Indian shooter further revealed how legendary marksman Gagan Narang, who achieved a similar double-silver feat at the Asian Games 16 years ago, reacted to her remarkable accomplishment.
"His first words to me were, "When will you stop copying me?" But honestly, I am very grateful to have him as my mentor. I don't think I could ask for anything more. I've had the privilege of learning directly from his experiences and benefiting from his guidance. More than anything, I'm grateful for all the lessons and learning opportunities he has given me," she said.
Speaking about the logistical and accomodation issues at the games in Japan, she said, "At the end of the day, what happens on the lane is more important than what happens outside it. My focus was always on how I recovered and performed on the range. Of course, there have been issues with the arrangements here, but we are here to represent our country and do our absolute best. I'm glad I was able to do that today."