Asian Games 2026 Day 1: India Wins Two Silver Medals in Shooting, Assured of MMA Medal

India opened its medal campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with two silver medals in women’s 10m air rifle. Shooter Elavenil Valarivan played a key role in both podium finishes, winning silver in the individual event after helping the Indian women’s team finish second.

India also received another medal boost from Suchika Tariyal, who reached the semi-finals of the women’s traditional 60kg Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event to assure the country of at least a bronze medal.

Elavenil Valarivan Wins Individual Silver

Elavenil Valarivan produced a strong performance in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final, finishing with a score of 252.4 points.

Japan’s Hinata Taichi won the gold medal with 253.0 points, leaving Elavenil just 0.6 points short of the top spot. South Korea’s Ban Hyojin claimed bronze.

The silver was Elavenil’s second medal of the day after she had earlier helped India secure silver in the team event.

India Wins Silver in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team Event

Earlier, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combined to win the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team competition.

The Indian trio recorded 1898.0 points to finish second. China won gold, while hosts Japan took bronze.

The result opened India’s medal account at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and gave Elavenil a memorable double-silver performance on the opening day.

The Prime Minister also congratulated Elavenil for her individual silver, noting that it was her second medal of the day.

Suchika Tariyal Assures India of MMA Medal

India secured another medal prospect through Suchika Tariyal in traditional Mixed Martial Arts.

Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s 60kg quarter-final to book her place in the semi-finals. Reaching the last four guaranteed her at least a bronze medal.

Tariyal will now compete in the semi-final, with the colour of her medal depending on her performance in the remaining rounds.

India Finishes Day 1 in 10th Place

India ended the opening day with two silver medals and no gold or bronze medals, placing the country 10th in the medal standings. China topped the table with 20 medals, including 11 golds, while hosts Japan were second with six gold medals and 20 medals overall.

India's opening-day medal haul came entirely from shooting, with Elavenil at the centre of both silver-medal finishes.

India Misses Out in Swimming and Wushu

While shooting brought India its first medals, the country did not manage a podium finish in swimming and wushu on the opening day.

In swimming, Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men’s 100m backstroke final with a time of 54.77 seconds. India also had mixed results in wushu, with the country unable to add to its medal tally from the discipline on Day 1.

India, however, had several other positive results across the opening day, including strong performances in hockey, cricket, badminton and table tennis. The women’s cricket team also advanced to the final, while both Indian hockey teams began their campaigns with emphatic victories.

India’s Asian Games Campaign Off to a Medal-Winning Start

With two shooting silvers already secured and an MMA medal assured, India has made a strong start to its campaign at the Asian Games 2026.

Elavenil Valarivan’s double-silver performance has been the highlight of the opening day, while Suchika Tariyal has given India another guaranteed medal opportunity in MMA. The Indian contingent will now look to add more medals as competition continues in Aichi-Nagoya.