India’s Asian Games Campaign: Double Shooting Silver and MMA Bronze

India’s Asian Games campaign in Aichi-Nagoya sparked into life on Sunday, and it did so from the calmest place in sport – the 10m air rifle range.

Under the pressure of an opening day and the weight of expectation, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod stitched together a combined score of 1898.0 in the women’s 10m air rifle team event. It was precise, composed shooting, good enough to carry India straight onto the podium with a silver medal, behind a dominant China.

The first medal of the Games was barely inked into the records when Elavenil stepped back onto the firing line and raised the stakes. In the individual final, she held her nerve through the elimination stages to finish second again, adding another silver to her name and doubling India’s tally for the day. On an afternoon when the Games were still finding their rhythm, the 24-year-old turned India’s column on the medal table into a statement.

Mixed Martial Arts

While the rifles fell silent, another Indian charge was gathering momentum inside the mixed martial arts arena. Suchika Tairyal fought her way into the semifinals in the women’s traditional 60kg category, a run that guarantees at least a bronze under the tournament format. Whether it becomes something more will depend on how she handles the next step, but India already knows it will add another colour to its early collection.

Japan, hosting these Games, claimed the very first gold of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 through Takumi Hojo. He broke the tape in the men’s triathlon, ensuring the home crowd had its own early roar as the medal rush began.

By 3:51 pm IST on September 20, the picture was clear enough: China had set the standard in shooting, Japan had its golden start, and India had announced itself with steel, precision and a promise of more to come.