Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Indian Shooters Overcome Long Commute to Win Two Silvers
Indian shooters had to travel for nearly two hours to reach their competition venue.
The road was winding, which could make athletes feel sick or stiff.
Coaches told them to use neck pillows and avoid looking at phone screens.
Some athletes listened to music, while others slept during the ride.
These steps helped them stay ready for competition.
India then won two silver medals in shooting.
Elavenil Valarivan won one silver with her team and another in an individual event.
She narrowly lost the individual final to Japan’s Taichi Hinata.
India won two silver medals in shooting at the Asian Games on Sunday.
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod finished second behind China in the women’s 10m air rifle team event.
Elavenil Valarivan later won individual silver, finishing 0.6 points behind Japan’s Taichi Hinata.
The journey from the hotel in Nagoya to the shooting range could take two hours on winding roads.
Shooters used neck pillows, avoided phone screens and sometimes slept to reduce stiffness, nausea and mental fatigue.
- Who
- Indian shooters, including Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, competed at the Asian Games.
- What
- India won two silver medals in shooting, including team and individual medals in the rifle events.
- When
- On Sunday; coaches began advising athletes about the long journey two days before competition.
- Where
- At the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota City, after traveling from Nagoya.
- Why
- The athletes and coaches were managing a winding, lengthy commute and changing conditions at the shooting range while trying to limit physical and mental fatigue.
- Medals won
- India won two silver medals in shooting.
- Team event
- Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod placed second in the women’s 10m air rifle team event.
- Individual result
- Elavenil Valarivan scored 252.4 in the individual final, compared with Taichi Hinata’s 253.0.
- Travel time
- The journey from the hotel in Nagoya to the range could take about two hours; organizers had initially indicated about 70 minutes.
- Venue elevation
- The shooting range was located at an elevation of 670 metres in Toyota City.
- Travel precautions
- Shooters were advised to use neck pillows, avoid phone screens and sleep or listen to music during the journey.
- Range conditions
- Coaches said the light changed frequently and that the venue could also be windy.