Elavenil Valarivan was an integral part of India’s Olympic Campaign in Tokyo 2020. Valarivan is a rifle shooting contestant and her colors came out flying in 2018. Elavenil Valarivan is India’s top female shooter in 10m Air Rifle. Her performance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was below par but that doesn’t justify the abilities this charismatic performer has. Elavenil Valarivan has trained in Gagan Narang’s Gun for Glory Academy. The Tamil Nadu-born shooter moved to Hyderabad for education. Since then, her career has only moved upwards. Here is a look at her personal life: –
Elavenil Valarivan Family: –
Elavenil Valarivan belongs to a family of well-educated and well-reputed individuals. Her father is Dr. Valarivan Ruthrapathy a scientist. Her mother is Saroja Valarivan who is a teacher. Her brother’s name is not known but he is a Captain in the Indian Army. Elavenil Valarivan is the most well-known of them all, but the family is filled with champions.
Elavenil Valarivan Early Life: –
Valarivan was born on 2nd August 1999 in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. She was born to well-educated parents. Her parents were always supportive of her sport. Her father Valarivan Ruthrapathy is a sports enthusiast. Her mother Saroja too was a basketball player. Elavenil Valarivan first picked up a gun in 2012 at the age of 13. It was her brother who inspired her to take up the sport.
Having developed a keen interest in shooting by the moment she reached class 10th, Elavenil Valarivan never let the sport affect her academics. She managed both her studies and shooting practice pretty well. According to her coach, Neha Chavan, the 20-year-old shooting star used to come to practice in the early morning before the beginning of her classes and also stayed back after school hours for training.
“She stayed about 25 km away from the training center so she woke up at 4.30 am every day to be here for practice at around 5.30 am. In the evenings, she’d train until 8.30 pm every day,” her coach Neha Chavan said.
Elavenil Valarivan earned her name after getting chosen for Project Leap. A project initiated by Gagan Narang’s Gun for Glory Academy. There she was coached by international professionals and trainers and took sessions on techniques, skills, match preparations and etiquettes, etc. The Tamil-Nadu shooter currently trains in Gagan Narang’s coaching center itself.
Elavenil Valarivan Shooting Career: –
Elavenil Valarivan came on the Indian Shooting circuit after she dominated the National Shooting Championships in 2017. In 2017, Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in the nationals in her first appearance at the event. She was only 18 back then. Elavenil Valarivan won the 10m Air Rifle event. Gagan Narang bought this achievement to the front after a tweet.
In 2018, Elavenil represented India in 3 international events. The events were World Junior Shooting Championship in Changwon, Junior World Cup in Suhl as well as Sydney, and the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney. Elavenil came back with a medal in all of these events.
In 2019, in the Junior ISSF World Cup, Elavenil reigned supreme. She won the gold in 10m Air Rifle. This event too was held in Suhl. Here form took a bit of a hit at the far end of 2020 in the Open-Age 2019 World Cup. She couldn’t convert her age group performances to the best in the open-age category.
Elavenil Valarivan Senior Shooting Career:-
In 2019 in the ISSF World Cup in Putian, she was ranked first. That seemed to be her only significant achievement in that year. In Munich, in the same event, Elavenil Valarivan stood 4th in 10m Air Rifle. Further in Bejing, she stood 17th which was a career lowest performance. But Elavenil fell further to the 30th position in the New Delhi event. Irrespective of her performances in these events of 2019, one can never ignore the fact that she is an exceptional talent. Her young age gives her an added advantage.
Elavenil Valarivan Awards and Achievements: –
Over the years Elavenil has clinched several titles. Here is a list of the titles and medals that Elavenil Valarivan has won: –
World Championships
- Gold in 2018 Changwon in 10 m air rifle team junior
- Silver in 2018 Changwon in 10 m air rifle junior
World Cup Final
- Gold in 2019 Putian in 10 m air rifle
World Cup
- Gold in 2019 Rio de Janeiro in 10 m air rifle
Asian Shooting Championships
- Gold in 2019 Doha in 10 m air rifle team
- Silver in Asian Airgun Championships
- Gold in 2019 Taoyuan in 10 m air rifle
- Gold in 2019 Taoyuan in 10 m air rifle team
- Silver in 2019 Taoyuan, 10 m air rifle mixed team
Junior World Cup
- Gold in 2018 Sydney in 10 m air rifle
- Gold in 2018 Sydney in 10 m air rifle team
- Gold in 2018 Suhl in 10 m air rifle
- Gold in 2018 Suhl in 10 m air rifle mixed team
- Gold in 2019 Suhl in 10 m air rifle
- Gold in 2019 Suhl in 10 m air rifle team
- Bronze in 2018 Suhl in 10 m air rifle team