Elavenil Valarivan Wins Gold at ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro

August 29, 2019: India celebrated another major sporting achievement as young shooter Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in the women’s 10-metre air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 28, 2019.

The 20-year-old Indian shooter scored an impressive 251.7 points in the final to claim her maiden senior ISSF World Cup gold medal. Great Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh secured the silver medal with 250.6 points, while Ying-Shin Lin of Chinese Taipei finished third with 229.9 points.

The victory marked an important milestone in Elavenil’s shooting career, as she demonstrated that she could compete successfully against some of the world’s leading senior shooters.

Elavenil Valarivan Creates History

With her victory in Rio, Elavenil became only the third Indian woman shooter to win a gold medal in the women’s 10-metre air rifle event at a senior ISSF World Cup. She joined the elite list alongside Anjali Bhagwat and Apurvi Chandela.

India’s other leading shooters, Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela, also participated in the competition. Anjum qualified for the eight-shooter final and finished sixth, while Apurvi narrowly missed the final after finishing 11th in the qualification round.

Elavenil had also performed impressively in the qualification stage, scoring 629.4 points to finish fourth and secure her place in the final. Anjum scored 629.1 points to qualify fifth.

Earlier in 2019, Elavenil had narrowly missed a podium finish at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany, where she finished fourth in the final with 208.3 points. Her gold-medal performance in Rio therefore marked a significant achievement in her transition to senior-level international competition.

India also continued its strong performance in women’s 10-metre air rifle shooting. By the time of Elavenil’s victory, Indian shooters had won three of the four World Cup gold medals awarded in the event during 2019.

Elavenil Valarivan’s Earlier Achievements

Before winning her maiden senior World Cup gold, Elavenil had already established herself as a promising talent in junior shooting competitions.

In 2018, she won gold medals at the ISSF Junior World Cups in Sydney, Australia, and Suhl, Germany. She also secured the silver medal in the individual women’s 10-metre air rifle junior event at the 2018 ISSF World Championship in Changwon, South Korea.

These achievements helped establish her reputation as one of India’s most promising young rifle shooters and paved the way for her successful transition to the senior category.

Elavenil Valarivan’s Connection to Tamil Nadu

Elavenil Valarivan was born in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, on August 2, 1999. Her family later moved to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where she grew up and developed her interest in shooting.

She began her shooting journey in 2013 after visiting a shooting club in Ahmedabad. With consistent training and support from her coaches, she gradually progressed through national and international competitions.

Although she grew up in Gujarat, her achievement was a moment of pride for people in Cuddalore and across Tamil Nadu. Her gold medal in Brazil also brought recognition to India’s growing strength in international shooting.

Elavenil’s victory at the Rio ISSF World Cup was more than just her first senior World Cup gold medal. It was a significant step in her sporting journey and another proud moment for Indian shooting.