‘Tomorrow is a new challenge’: Elavenil shifts focus to mixed team event after double silver

Nagoya, Sep 20 (IANS) Elavenil Valarivan is already looking to put her double-silver success behind her and shift focus to the next challenge, with the Indian shooter set to compete in the mixed team 10m air rifle event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Elavenil enjoyed a memorable day at the Games on Sunday, helping India win silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event before claiming another silver in the individual competition at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery.

However, with the mixed team event still to come, the shooter said she would take the learnings from Sunday’s competition but treat the next day as a fresh start.

“I think, of course, today’s success is something that I would… Today’s learning is something that I would be taking from here today. But tomorrow again, it’s a new day; it’s a new challenge for me,” Elavenil replied to an IANS query during a media interaction.

“We have the pre-event training tomorrow, and we have the mixed doubles match day after. So my goal is just to leave this off, take the learning from today’s event and head on to the next one,” she added.

Elavenil said she does not want the celebrations surrounding her two medals to distract her from the competition ahead, knowing she will have enough time to enjoy the achievement once she returns home.

“Of course, there is plenty of time for me once I am back at my home to celebrate,” she said.

With another event still to come, Elavenil also had a message for young shooters and athletes watching her performance.

“I think my message would be to believe in themselves. I mean, I keep telling this because I kind of have lately been doing this, that is, believing in myself, because when one starts to believe in themselves, I think there is no stopping. Let it be sports, let it be culture, let it be education, let it be whatever field they are choosing to be,” she said.

“If they have the trust in themselves that they can achieve what they want. I think that is the biggest takeaway that I can give,” she added.

Elavenil had earlier come close to gold in the individual final, leading for much of the competition before Japan’s Hinata Taichi produced a decisive finish to win the title with an Asian Games record score of 253.0. Elavenil finished on 252.4.

She had also helped India secure silver in the team event alongside Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod.

–IANS

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