Gujarat-based shooter Elavenil Valarivan has been honoured with a ₹1.33 crore cash award by the Gujarat government for her outstanding performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi presented the award under the state’s sports incentive scheme.
Valarivan won two silver medals on the same day in the women’s 10m air rifle events. She secured silver in the individual competition and also won silver in the team event alongside Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod. In the individual final, Valarivan scored 252.4 points to finish second.
Gujarat’s support behind her journey
Valarivan was born in Tamil Nadu but grew up and developed her shooting career in Ahmedabad. She has been associated with Gujarat’s Shaktidoot scheme since 2017–18 and has trained at facilities supported through state sports initiatives. She has also credited the Sports Authority of Gujarat, the state sports department, Gun for Glory Shooting Academy and educational institutions such as Vijay Bharti and Sanskardham for supporting her career.
According to the Gujarat government, Valarivan has received ₹1.33 crore through the Shaktidoot and Olympic incentive schemes, while another ₹74 lakh has been provided through schemes including DLSS and Khel Mahakumbh. This takes the total financial assistance from the state to ₹2.41 crore.
The 25-year-old shooter has represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. She also won gold at the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro and received the Arjuna Award in 2022.
