India’s shooters continued their golden run at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship, with Arjun Babuta and Elavenil Valarivan combining to win the 10m air rifle mixed team title on Saturday. The Indian pair defeated China’s Dingke Lu and Xinlu Peng 17-11 in the final, adding another chapter to India’s growing success in the sport.

Match Recap
The contest began with early pressure on the Indians as Babuta opened with a 9.5 and Valarivan followed with 10.1, allowing the Chinese to build a narrow lead. But the experienced duo quickly regained their composure. Producing a string of consistent high 10s, including several 10.5s and above, they overturned the deficit and steadily pulled away to close out the match 17-11.
The gold was India’s third in rifle events at Shymkent, confirming the country’s depth in the discipline. By Saturday evening, India’s overall medal tally at the championship had reached 11, comprising four gold, one silver, and six bronze.
Elavenil Valarivan’s Stellar Form
For Valarivan, the mixed team crown came less than 24 hours after a standout individual performance. On Friday, the 26-year-old won the women’s 10m air rifle final with a score of 253.6, setting a new national record and edging out China’s Peng Xinlu (253.0) in a close finish.
The title was her second Asian crown, following her breakthrough in 2019, and marked a significant return to form after a patch of inconsistency in recent seasons. Teammate Mehuli Ghosh finished fourth in that final, while the two, alongside Ananya Naidu, had earlier picked up a bronze in the team event.
Arjun Babuta’s Consistency
Babuta’s consistency has also been notable. Earlier in the competition, he joined forces with Rudrankksh Patil and Kiran Jadhav to claim the men’s 10m air rifle team gold. The 2022 World Cup winner has now secured his second Asian mixed team title, having previously won in 2022 with Mehuli Ghosh.
His performances in Shymkent underline his growing reliability in pressure situations.
India’s Broader Campaign
India’s broader campaign in Kazakhstan has showcased both experience and emerging talent. Apart from rifle successes, Anantjeet Singh Naruka opened the gold account with victory in men’s skeet, while Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympian, added two bronzes in the women’s 10m air pistol.
In the junior section, the women’s 10m air rifle team of Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur, and Isha Anil even set a junior world record.
The mixed team final stood out as a symbol of balance and resilience – Valarivan reasserting her stature with a double gold, and Babuta continuing his steady rise. With three rifle golds secured from five events, India emerged as the most successful nation in the discipline at this edition of the championships, strengthening its credentials ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.