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Elavenil Valarivan is currently ranked No. 1 in the women's 10m air rifle category (as per the Tokyo Olympic Rankings). The ace shooter has been one of the most consistent performers in the sport over the past few years.
She is one of the 15-strong Indian contingent to have qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and one of the biggest medal hopefuls.
Also read: Top Indian shooters who can win a medal at Tokyo Olympics
With the quadrennial event inching closer, here's what you must know about Elavenil Valarivan:
Elavenil Valarivan's birth place, current age, height
While she was born in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu on August 2, 1999, Elavenil Valarivan spent the majority of her time growing up in Ahmedabad and is currently living in Gujarat.
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The star Indian shooter is 21-years-old and her height is 164 cm (5.38 ft).
Elavenil Valarivan's education
Valarivan is an alumna of Divine Buds High School in Ahmedabad. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, which she pursued at the Bhavan's Sheth R A College of Science, Commerce & Arts. The college is affiliated with Gujarat University.
Who introduced Elavenil Valarivan to shooting?
Valarivan's brother introduced her to the sport when she was 14 years old. She instantly took a liking to it and soon joined the Gun for Glory Shooting Academy. Run by Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, the academy has multiple centers all over India.
Elavenil Valarivan's hobbies and interests
Going by her social media posts, Valarivan appears to be an avid traveler.
Elavenil Valarivan specializes in which shooting event?
The women's 10m air rifle event is Valarivan's forte. She also regularly represents the nation in the women's team and mixed team 10m air rifle events and is highly decorated in all these events.
When did Elavenil Valarivan come to the forefront in shooting?
The entire Indian shooting fraternity took notice of her remarkable talent in 2018, when she claimed three gold medals at two separate ISSF Junior World Cups.
Her final score of 249.8 helped her to individual gold in women's 10m air rifle during the Sydney edition in March of that year. In the same edition, Valarivan, along with Zeena Khitta and Shreya Agrawal bagged gold in the 10m air rifle women's event.
During the Suhl, Germany edition of the 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup, she clinched another individual gold in women's 10m air rifle, with a final score of 251.7.
Also read: Shooter Elavenil Valarivan's consistent performance secured her a berth at Tokyo Olympics 2021
Additionally, during the 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Changwon, South Korea, Valarivan claimed the silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle event with a score of 249.8. This was her first major medal at the senior level.
What are Elavenil Valarivan's major achievements?
Some of Elavenil Valarivan's major feats include:
- Winning two gold medals at the 2019 ISSF World Cup. The first one came during the Rio de Janeiro edition. She claimed the coveted medal with a final score of 251.7 in the women's 10m air rifle event. Another gold followed in the Putian edition of the tournament in China, this time with a final score of 250.8.
- Winning individual gold, women's team gold, and silver medals during the 2019 Asian Airgun Championships in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
- Winning the coveted gold medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event alongside Divyansh Singh Panwar at the 2021 ISSF World Cup in New Delhi.
Valarivan is currently taking part in the 2021 European Shooting Championships, as part of the preparations for her maiden Olympics.
India has high hopes from its shooting contingent
Indian shooters had a forgettable run at the 2016 Rio Olympics and failed to reach the podium. However, with the kind of talent that's on hand this time around, the country can expect to see its shooting contingent bring home a sizable haul of medals.
