Elavenil Valarivan capped a landmark Sunday at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with two silver medals — one in the women's 10m air rifle team event and another in the individual competition at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery — before receiving a video call from her mentor and former Olympic medallist Gagan Narang, who urged her to reset quickly and stay focused on the upcoming mixed team 10m air rifle event.

A Memorable Day at the Asian Games

Elavenil's double-podium finish gave India a significant boost in the shooting discipline at Aichi-Nagoya. The women's team silver came first, with the individual silver following later in the day — making it one of the standout performances by an Indian shooter at these Games. The achievement drew immediate attention from across the shooting fraternity, not least from Narang, who has guided Elavenil's development through his shooting academy.

What Narang Told Elavenil

Narang, who himself claimed two silver medals at the 2010 Asian Games — a milestone Elavenil has now matched — shared a clip of his video conversation with her on social media. In an accompanying Instagram post, he wrote: 'Two medals at the Asian Games! Congratulations, Elavenil, on a fantastic performance. Two medals are a reflection not just of what happens on competition day, but of the years of discipline, patience, hard work and countless hours behind the firing line.'

Notably, Narang was clear that the call's focus was forward-looking, not celebratory. 'It was good to catch up after the event, celebrate what has been achieved and then quickly turn our attention to what comes next, the Mixed Team event,' he wrote. He advised Elavenil to recover well, stay hydrated, eat right, sleep well, and trust the technique that had carried her this far. His guidance: 'Stay in your own bubble and take the next match one shot at a time.'

He also cautioned against overanalysing the previous rounds, chasing scores or medals, or making any abrupt changes to technique or equipment. 'Don't get caught up in expectations, social media or what others are shooting,' Narang added.

Elavenil's Account of the Call

Speaking to reporters, Elavenil revealed that the call came while she was on her way for a dope test. 'Gagan sir video called me. I was just going for my dope, and I took a few minutes off, and I was talking to Sir. He did have some really good insights about my finals, and I am glad that he had that noted down and he could give that to me and I could work on it,' she said.

She added: 'So, yes, I did speak with him. It was a very, very happy call. And of course, he did tell me about me following his footsteps, which, again, I am very grateful to learn from him.' The remark carries particular weight given that Narang's own two Asian Games silvers came in the same discipline, 10m air rifle, over a decade ago.

What Comes Next

With the double silver already secured, Elavenil is now preparing for the mixed team 10m air rifle event, with pre-event training scheduled ahead of competition. The performance has reinforced India's standing in the air rifle discipline at the continental level and underlined the productive partnership between athlete and mentor. How Elavenil channels Narang's counsel into the team format will be closely watched.