NEW DELHI, July 17: Elavenil Valarivan has been at the top of her game ever since she burst onto the international shooting scene as a prodigiously talented teenager. Still only 26, the rifle shooter has built a reputation not merely on brilliance but on unwavering consistency, making her one of India’s most dependable performers.
Her breakthrough came at the 2018 World University Games when she was just 18. Since then, she has evolved into a two-time Olympian, a World Championship medallist and a World Cup Finals gold winner.
Ask the Tamil Nadu-born, Gujarat-based shooter the secret behind that consistency, and the answer is refreshingly simple.
“I wake up every single day looking forward to being my best.” That philosophy was on full display earlier this year when Elavenil completed a golden sweep at the Asian Championships, winning the women’s 10m air rifle, team and mixed team titles.
Riding high on that success, she is now preparing for her second Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this year, with the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou (from July 20) her immediate assignment.
Yet, success, she insists, has never been about chasing perfection. It is about returning to the fundamentals.
“I have fallen back on my basics before major competitions and have just been working on the root of the sport. I think that has really been helping me, and I still look forward to being my best every single day,” Elavenil said during an interaction.
The three gold medals at the Asian Championships carried an emotional significance beyond the podium. They were her first international medals won on home soil.
“Those were my first international medals on home soil. Winning in front of my near and dear ones was a very special feeling,” she said.
Indian shooting today boasts extraordinary depth, with young talent emerging at an unprecedented pace. But rather than viewing the next generation as a threat, Elavenil sees it as fuel for improvement.
“The level of competition we have in India is incredibly high and it prepares us to put our best foot forward whenever we compete internationally.
With youngsters coming up so early, it is an added motivation for all of us to be the best versions of ourselves.
“I am really glad the competition in India is so tough because it prepares us for the international stage,” she said.
As she prepares for Hangzhou before shifting her focus to the Asian Games, Elavenil remains grounded in the philosophy that has defined her career.
Her emphasis is not on medals but on mastering each day, each session and each shot. She will compete in the women’s 10m air rifle and mixed team events at the Asian Games. (PTI)
