New Delhi, Elite rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan said beating reigning Olympic and world champion Ban Hyojin of South Korea for an individual silver at the Asian Games has helped her overcome the disappointment of narrowly missing out on gold after leading until the final stages of the women’s 10m air rifle competition in Nagoya.
Elavenil returned home to a rousing welcome at Delhi’s IGI Airport along with seven other medal-winning members of the Indian shooting contingent late Friday night.
“I feel very grateful that I got to represent my country and was able to bring a lot of laurels for the country. Definitely, there is some disappointment that I could not win the gold, but nevertheless, this is just the beginning and I think there is more to come,” Elavenil told PTI after being accorded a thunderous welcome at the airport.
“I did beat the world champion as well as the Olympic champion, who came third. I am very grateful that I have an amazing team around me and we have been training on the right path. This medal is a confidence booster for me, to know that I am on the right track ,” she said.
The eldest member of the contingent, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, 50, was simply elated and relieved that his long wait for an Asian Games medal was finally over.
“For the last 25 years, I’m working. My first Asian Games was in 2006. And after two decades, I’ve won this medal for my country. And I’m very happy and I’m very thankful to Naveen Jindal, who supported me all the way through my journey to pursue my goal,” he said.
Double silver medallist Anantjit Singh Naruka was happy and disappointed at the same time but said his two silver medals meant a lot to him as a shooter.
“It means a lot. I came back with two medals last time in China also, and this time also I got back with two medals. It’s a proud moment for all of us. We worked really hard for it, and that’s what showed when we were playing our matches. Of course, as an athlete, we feel that the colour could have gotten better. But I’m really happy with two medals,” he said.
One of the youngest members of the Indian contingent, talented shooter Raiza Dhillon, said the team medal was historic for the country’s shooting squad.
“It’s a very historic medal for us. It’s the first team medal we’ve ever gotten in this game, so it’s been a very big medal. And otherwise also, in the individual, I came fourth, so it was a very good competition all in all for me. I definitely had the full hopes of coming back with a medal. So I’m very happy that I have managed to do that,” she said.
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