Asian Games 2026 India Medal Updates Live: Elavenil Valarivan Wins Two Silvers as Hockey Teams Make Dominant Start
India opened its medal account at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 with two silver medals in shooting as Elavenil Valarivan emerged as the standout performer on the first full day after the opening ceremony. India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams also produced emphatic opening victories, while the
India’s opening day at the 2026 Asian Games with shooting medals and dominant hockey victories
Table of Contents (19 sections)
AICHI-NAGOYA, Japan, September 20, 2026: India’s medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games is officially underway, with shooter Elavenil Valarivan at the centre of a two-silver start on Sunday.
The first medal came in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, where Elavenil joined Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Kochalumkal Vinod to finish second behind China.
Only hours later, Elavenil returned to the range and produced another high-level performance in the individual final, narrowly missing the gold medal and earning her second silver of the day.
Away from shooting, India’s hockey teams delivered two of the most dominant scorelines of the opening programme. The women overwhelmed Uzbekistan 19-0, before the men began their Asian Games title defence with a 13-1 victory over Indonesia.
India also advanced to the women’s cricket final following a commanding semi-final victory over Bangladesh, guaranteeing the defending champions at least a silver medal in that competition.
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As of 6:43 PM IST on September 20, India’s official medal tally stands at two silver medals. Additional medals have been assured in competitions that have not yet concluded.
Key Takeaways
Elavenil Valarivan wins two silver medals in women’s 10m air rifle (team and individual).
India women’s hockey team defeats Uzbekistan 19-0.
India men’s hockey team begins title defence with 13-1 win over Indonesia.
Women’s cricket team reaches the gold-medal match after beating Bangladesh.
Suchika Tariyal guarantees India a medal in women’s traditional 60kg MMA.
Official India medal tally: 0 Gold | 2 Silver | 0 Bronze | 2 Total.
India’s Confirmed Medals So Far
Medal
Sport
Event
Athlete(s)
Silver
Shooting
Women’s 10m air rifle team
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Vidarsa K Vinod
Silver
Shooting
Women’s 10m air rifle individual
Elavenil Valarivan
The medal tally counts the team silver as one medal for India, even though all three members receive individual medals.
India therefore has two medals in the official country tally — both silver — at the time of this update.
India’s First Medal Comes from Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team
India’s first podium finish of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 came early on Sunday through the women’s 10m air rifle team.
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combined for a total of 1,898.0 points.
China took gold with 1,904.2, while host nation Japan finished narrowly behind India with 1,897.1 to claim bronze.
That meant just 0.9 points separated India and Japan in the battle for second place.
The Indian trio produced a consistent qualification performance under considerable pressure.
Sonam recorded 634.1, Elavenil scored 633.5, while Vidarsa contributed 630.4 to India's total.
Sonam and Elavenil also qualified for the individual final on the strength of their performances.
For Vidarsa, the result was especially significant. Competing in her first major multi-sport event, she helped India secure a medal immediately at the start of the shooting programme.
China, meanwhile, demonstrated why its shooters entered the event among the favourites, taking the team gold with a Games-leading performance.
Yet India did enough to hold off Japan and ensure the national flag was on the podium in the country’s first medal event of the Games.
Elavenil Valarivan Nearly Converts Silver into Gold
The team medal was only the beginning of Elavenil Valarivan’s day.
Later in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final, the Indian shooter challenged strongly for gold and stayed in contention until the last shots.
Elavenil finished with a total of 252.4 points.
Japan’s Taichi Hinata won the gold medal with 253.0, giving the home shooter victory by just 0.6 points.
South Korea’s Ban Hyojin took bronze with 230.4.
Sonam Maskar, the second Indian to qualify for the eight-shooter final, finished sixth with 167.0.
Elavenil had entered the final after qualifying seventh, but she immediately raised her level when the medals were at stake.
She led after the early stages of the final and remained locked in a close contest with Hinata as the field was gradually eliminated.
Heading into the final two shots, the difference between the pair was only 0.3 points.
Elavenil scored 10.4 on her penultimate attempt, while Hinata responded with 10.6.
That increased the Japanese shooter’s advantage to half a point.
On the final shot, Elavenil recorded 10.1. Hinata answered with 10.2 and secured the gold.
The margin was small, but the result gave Elavenil an important individual Asian Games medal as well as her earlier team silver.
Two Medals in One Day for Elavenil
Elavenil therefore ended September 20 with:
Team silver — women’s 10m air rifle
Individual silver — women’s 10m air rifle
Her performance made her India’s first multiple medallist of the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
The 27-year-old is not finished either.
She is scheduled to compete alongside Parth Mane in the 10m air rifle mixed-team event on September 22, giving her another opportunity to reach the podium.
India came into these Games with significant expectations from its shooting contingent after winning 22 shooting medals at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Opening the campaign with two silvers suggests that shooting could again become an important part of India’s overall medal total.
India Women’s Hockey Team Destroys Uzbekistan 19-0
If shooting provided the medals, hockey delivered some of India’s most emphatic performances of the day.
The Indian women began their Pool B campaign with an extraordinary 19-0 victory over Uzbekistan at the hockey competition in Kakamigahara.
India controlled the contest almost completely and repeatedly entered the Uzbek circle.
The biggest individual contribution came from Deepika Sehrawat, who scored eight goals.
Ishika also enjoyed an outstanding game, completing a hat-trick.
India had already established an 8-0 advantage by half-time before adding another 11 goals after the interval.
Deepika’s finishing was particularly important.
Her eight-goal haul included efforts from different phases of attack and demonstrated the threat India can generate both through open play and penalty-corner situations.
Lalremsiami opened the scoring, and several Indian players eventually appeared on the scoresheet as the match became increasingly one-sided.
India never allowed Uzbekistan a meaningful route back into the contest.
For a team targeting the Asian Games gold medal and the Olympic qualification opportunity associated with continental success, the 19-0 result was an emphatic opening statement.
Savita Reaches Another Career Milestone
The match also carried individual significance for experienced goalkeeper Savita Punia, who reached another major international appearance milestone during the tournament opener.
While Savita was rarely troubled because of India’s territorial dominance, her continued presence reflects the experience available within Salima Tete’s squad.
India will next face Indonesia on September 21 before continuing its Pool B campaign against Thailand, Japan and Singapore.
Japan is expected to provide a much more demanding test later in the group stage.
The Uzbekistan result therefore gives India an ideal start, but it does not remove the need for improvement as the standard of opposition rises.
India Men Begin Title Defence with 13-1 Win
India’s men followed the women’s dominant performance with another goal-filled victory.
The defending Asian Games champions defeated Indonesia 13-1 in their opening Pool A fixture.
Dilpreet Singh scored four goals, leading an attack in which eight Indian players found the net.
Shilanand Lakra and Sukhjeet Singh added two goals each, while Abhishek, Rajinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, captain Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh were also among the scorers.
India established control early.
Shilanand converted a rebound in the sixth minute before Abhishek doubled the advantage in the 12th.
The second quarter brought another wave of pressure.
Dilpreet scored twice in quick succession, Rajinder added another goal and Mandeep also found the target as India rapidly pulled away from Indonesia.
The match eventually ended 13-1.
Indonesia’s solitary goal prevented a clean sheet, but it did little to alter the wider picture of Indian dominance.
Why the Men’s Hockey Campaign Matters
India arrived in Japan as the defending Asian Games men’s hockey champion after winning gold at Hangzhou.
The stakes at Aichi-Nagoya extend beyond defending that title.
The Asian Games champion earns direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, making the tournament one of the most important events in India’s current hockey cycle.
India is in Pool A alongside:
Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The next match is against Sri Lanka on September 22, followed by fixtures against South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh.
The 13-1 opening victory offers confidence, but the matches against South Korea and host nation Japan are likely to provide a clearer indication of India's medal prospects.
Women’s Cricket Team Reaches Gold-Medal Match
India also secured a major result in women’s cricket.
The defending champions defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs in their semi-final to advance to another Asian Games gold-medal match.
India posted 195 for four in 20 overs, powered by an outstanding century from Shafali Verma.
Bangladesh were then dismissed for 81 in 15.4 overs.
Shafali’s innings was the centrepiece of the Indian performance.
She reached her maiden T20 international hundred in a powerful display at the top of the order, while India received further contributions from its experienced batting group.
With the ball, Nandini Sharma and Deepti Sharma took three wickets each as Bangladesh’s chase collapsed.
The victory means India is now guaranteed at least a silver medal in women’s cricket.
However, that medal should not yet be added to India’s official medal tally because the competition has not concluded.
India will play Sri Lanka in the final, where the defending champions will attempt to win a second consecutive Asian Games women’s cricket gold.
Suchika Tariyal Guarantees India a Historic MMA Medal
Another medal has also been assured outside the traditional Olympic disciplines.
Suchika Tariyal advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s traditional 60kg mixed martial arts event, guaranteeing India a medal at the Asian Games.
She defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the quarter-final to move into the medal rounds.
The precise colour of Tariyal’s medal remains to be determined.
Because her event has not yet concluded, it is again important to distinguish between an assured medal and a medal already recorded in the official standings.
That distinction is particularly important when maintaining a live medal tally.
Badminton and Table Tennis Also Begin Campaigns
India enjoyed positive results in several other team competitions.
The women’s badminton team defeated Kazakhstan 3-0 in the round of 16, advancing to a quarter-final against Japan.
In table tennis, the Indian teams also began their campaigns on Sunday, with the women recording a comeback victory while the men experienced more mixed fortunes as the group-stage competition got underway.
These results do not immediately affect the medal tally, but they determine whether India remains in contention as the knockout rounds approach.
India Medal Tally: Confirmed Versus Assured
At the time of this update, the distinction is:
Confirmed medals
Silver — Women’s 10m air rifle team
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod
Silver — Women’s 10m air rifle individual
Elavenil Valarivan
Medals already assured but not yet finalised
Women’s cricket — at least silver
India has qualified for the final against Sri Lanka.
Women’s traditional 60kg MMA — medal assured
Suchika Tariyal has reached the semi-final.
Those assured medals will enter the official tally according to the final results and competition procedures.
India Chasing Another Record Campaign
The 2026 Asian Games come three years after India produced its best-ever Asian Games performance at Hangzhou.
India crossed the 100-medal mark for the first time there and finished fourth in the overall standings.
The Olympic Council of Asia lists India among the major delegations competing at Aichi-Nagoya, with hundreds of Indian athletes spread across a broad range of sports.
The challenge in 2026 is significant.
China, Japan and South Korea remain exceptionally strong across multiple Olympic and Asian disciplines, while countries including Uzbekistan, Iran and Kazakhstan are also expected to collect medals consistently.
India’s ability to approach or surpass its previous record will therefore depend not only on traditional strengths such as athletics, shooting, wrestling, boxing, hockey and kabaddi, but also on converting opportunities in newer disciplines.
Elavenil Provides the Ideal Opening
Whatever happens over the next two weeks, September 20 has already given India its first major storyline of Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Elavenil Valarivan arrived at the shooting range as one of India’s medal prospects.
She left with two Asian Games silver medals in a matter of hours.
The first was shared with Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod after India narrowly held off Japan in the team event.
The second was far more personal — a tense individual final in which only six-tenths of a point separated Elavenil from the gold medal.
She came close to giving India its first gold of these Games.
Instead, she gave the country something nearly as important at this early stage: momentum.
Hockey Adds an Emphatic Warning
India’s hockey teams then strengthened that positive start.
A combined score of 32 goals scored and just one conceded across the men’s and women’s opening matches underlined the difference between India and their first opponents.
The women’s 19-0 win over Uzbekistan showcased Deepika’s finishing and the depth of the Indian attack.
The men’s 13-1 win over Indonesia showed similar attacking freedom, with Dilpreet Singh leading a broad group of scorers.
These were opening matches rather than medal contests, so neither result should be overinterpreted.
Stronger opposition lies ahead.
But both Indian teams could hardly have asked for a more convincing beginning.
What Comes Next for India
The medal opportunities will increase quickly as the Games move deeper into their programme.
Elavenil remains in contention for another shooting medal through the mixed-team event.
India’s women cricketers will compete for gold against Sri Lanka.
Suchika Tariyal will attempt to improve the colour of her guaranteed MMA medal.
The hockey teams move through their respective pool stages, while badminton, table tennis, swimming and other disciplines continue.
Later in the Games, attention will also turn towards several of India’s strongest medal disciplines, including athletics, wrestling, boxing, kabaddi and additional shooting events.
For now, however, India’s Aichi-Nagoya medal story begins with one athlete and one shooting range.
Elavenil Valarivan has two silver medals.
India has two medals on the official tally.
And with cricket and MMA already guaranteeing further podium finishes, plus both hockey teams making spectacular starts, the country’s medal campaign has begun with considerable momentum.
Live Update Time: September 20, 2026, 6:43 PM IST
Current India Medal Tally: 0 Gold | 2 Silver | 0 Bronze | 2 Total
Bottom Line
India opened its 2026 Asian Games medal account with two silver medals from shooter Elavenil Valarivan on September 20.
She won team and individual silver in the women’s 10m air rifle events. India’s hockey teams delivered emphatic victories — the women 19-0 over Uzbekistan and the men 13-1 over Indonesia — while the women’s cricket team reached the gold-medal match.
Additional medals have been assured in cricket and MMA but are not yet recorded in the official tally. India’s campaign begins with momentum across multiple disciplines.
Key Takeaway
Elavenil Valarivan wins two shooting silvers on opening day.
India women hockey crush Uzbekistan 19-0; men beat Indonesia 13-1.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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