Shymkent, Kazakhstan (August 23): India’s shooting duo Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta clinched the gold medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event at the ongoing Asian Shooting Championship 2025 in Shymkent on Saturday.
The Olympian pair delivered a dominant performance, defeating China’s Peng Xinlu and Lu Dingke 17-11 in the final to secure the top podium finish. Earlier in the day, Valarivan and Babuta had topped the qualification round with a score of 634.0, ensuring their place in the title match.
India’s other team, featuring Mehuli Ghosh and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, finished second in the qualifiers with 632.6 but could not progress further, as only one team per nation is permitted in the medal round. Consequently, Valarivan and Babuta faced the third-ranked Chinese pair in the gold medal clash.
The bronze medals in the event were shared by Japan’s Hinata Taichi–Naoki Hanakawa and Korea’s Eunji Kwon–Hajun Park.
With this victory, India’s medal tally in the senior events of the championship has risen to 11 medals—including four gold, one silver, and six bronze. Only China has managed a higher count so far.
Among the highlights of India’s campaign, Anantjeet Singh Naruka claimed the men’s skeet title. Elavenil Valarivan secured the women’s 10m air rifle individual gold. The Indian men’s 10m air rifle team added another gold to the tally. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker earned two bronze medals in the women’s 10m air pistol individual and team events and is set to compete in the 25m pistol category.
India has sent a 35-member senior squad to the Shymkent competition, competing across 15 events. In addition, 129 Indian shooters are participating in the junior categories, reflecting the country’s growing depth in shooting talent.