Gandhinagar, Sep 28 (IANS) The Gujarat government has awarded rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan Rs 1.33 crore under its ‘Khel Pratibha Puraskar Yojana’ after she won two silver medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, taking the total incentives extended to the athlete by the state to Rs 2.41 crore.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Monday honoured shooter Elavenil Valarivan for her silver-medal performances in the women’s 10m air rifle team and individual events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Valarivan first helped India win silver in the team event before claiming another silver in the individual competition. She shot 252.4 in the individual final to finish behind Japan’s Taichi Hinata, who won gold with a Games-record score of 253.0.
Congratulating Valarivan, Sanghavi said the Gujarat government was committed to providing athletes with the training and facilities required to prepare for international competitions.
“An athlete’s international success is the result not only of their own hard work but also of the support and values provided by their parents throughout their journey,” he said.
Sanghavi also highlighted Valarivan’s association with the Sanskardham complex, where she studied under the state government’s DLSS scheme, saying her Asian Games performance had brought recognition to Gujarat.
“The success of athletes nurtured at Sanskardham could inspire thousands of young athletes across the state,” he added.
According to the Gujarat government, Valarivan had previously received Rs 1.33 crore under the Shaktidoot Scheme and Olympic Incentive Scheme, in addition to Rs 74 lakh through schemes including the DLSS Scheme and Khel Mahakumbh.
The latest incentive takes the total financial assistance provided to Valarivan by the state government to Rs 2.41 crore.
Valarivan, who resides in Ahmedabad’s Maninagar area, has been associated with the state government’s Shaktidoot Scheme since 2017-18 and currently holds an ‘A’ category position under the programme.
The 27-year-old has represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won gold at the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 with a score of 251.7 and received the Arjuna Award from the Central government in 2022.
Her international record also includes medals at the Junior World Cups in Suhl and Sydney in 2018, the Asian Airgun Championships and the World University Games in Chengdu, besides podium finishes at international competitions in Munich and Kazakhstan in 2025.
Valarivan’s two Asian Games medals came eight years after her continental debut, when a rifle malfunction prevented her from progressing to the final.
— IANS
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