India’s Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan produced a spirited comeback to capture the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship on Saturday.
Comeback against China
Facing China’s Dingke Lu and Xinlu Peng in the final, the Indian pair initially struggled. Babuta and Elavenil registered scores of 9.5 and 10.1 in the early stages, allowing the Chinese duo to take control. However, the Indians regrouped quickly, finding consistency under pressure to edge ahead. With sharp shooting in the closing rounds, they overturned the deficit and secured a 17-11 win, finishing on top of the podium.
Second gold for Elavenil
The victory marked Elavenil Valarivan’s second gold medal of the competition. Earlier, the Tokyo Olympian had topped the 10m air rifle women’s event with a commanding performance, further underlining her dominance in the discipline. Her partnership with Babuta added another glittering chapter to India’s campaign in Shymkent.
Men’s team strikes gold
India’s success was not limited to the mixed team event. The trio of Arjun Babuta, Rudrankksh Patil, and Kiran Jadhav clinched the men’s 10m air rifle team gold earlier in the championship. Their composed effort ensured India maintained a strong presence on the medal tally.
Strong campaign for India
With multiple podium finishes, India’s shooters have continued to demonstrate depth and consistency on the continental stage. The performances of Babuta and Elavenil, in particular, provided momentum as the championship entered its final stages.
The 16th Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent is a crucial event in the build-up to upcoming global competitions, and India’s early gold haul will boost the shooters’ confidence ahead of tougher challenges.
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