“This Medal Is a Confidence Booster”: Elavenil Valarivan Reflects on Asian Games Silver, Eyes LA Olympics

New Delhi, September 26: Indian rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan said her silver medal at the Asian Games helped her move past the disappointment of narrowly missing gold in the women's 10m air rifle event in Nagoya.

Valarivan, who led the competition until the final stages before finishing second, defeated reigning Olympic and world champion Ban Hyojin of South Korea, who eventually claimed the bronze medal. She returned to New Delhi late Friday night along with seven other medal-winning members of India's shooting contingent and received a warm welcome at the IGI Airport.

"I feel very grateful that I got to represent my country and was able to bring a lot of laurels for the country. Definitely, there is some disappointment that I could not win the gold, but this is just the beginning, and I think there is more to come," Valarivan told PTI.

Reflecting on her performance, she added, "I did beat the world champion as well as the Olympic champion, who came third." The shooter said the medal had boosted her confidence as she continues preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics.

"This medal is a confidence booster for me, to know that I am on the right track (towards the LA Olympics)," she said.

Veteran shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan, the oldest member of the contingent at 50, was equally delighted after finally securing an Asian Games medal following years of waiting. His first appearance at the continental event came in 2006.

"For the last 25 years, I've been working... after two decades, I've won this medal for my country," Mairaj said, while thanking industrialist Naveen Jindal for supporting his journey.

Anantjit Singh Naruka also returned with two silver medals and described the achievement as a proud moment, while admitting athletes always hope for a better medal colour.

Meanwhile, young shooter Raiza Dhillon hailed India's team medal as historic, calling it the first such medal for the country in the event. She also finished fourth individually, making it a memorable campaign overall.