Elavenil Valarivan

Some Lesser Known Facts About Elavenil Valarivan

• Elavenil Valarivan is a professional Indian sport shooter. In 2018, she clinched a gold medal at the 2018 ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup. In 2021, Elavenil Valarivan was selected to represent India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

  

• In 2019, she won a silver medal in the world University Games. In the same year, she represented India at World Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany and won the gold medal.

• In 2019, at Rio de Janeiro, Elavenil Valarivan clinched the gold medal at the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) 10-meter Air Rifle world cup. In the same year, at the finals of the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Munich, Germany, Elavenil finished the event at the fourth position.

• In 2019, in the Asian Air Gun Championships in Taoyuan, Taipei, Elavenil won her first individual gold medal in the senior category in the 10m air rifle event.

• According to Elavenil, she had a keen interest in sports since childhood. Before taking up shooting sport seriously, she was a long-distance athlete and a sprinter. In an interview with a media house, she revealed that she was introduced to shooting sport by her cousin. She said,
  

  I initially took it up for fun and only began serious, full-time practice in July 2014.”

  She further shared,

  My parents, both PhD scholars, have always been very encouraging of whatever I chose to do.”

• Elavenil Valarivan appeared in her tenth exam in 2015. During these exams, she had to balance between both studies and shooting training practices. Her coach, Neha Chavan, said in an interview that Elavenil used to attend the shooting training very early in the morning before her school started, and she also waited after school for more practice sessions. Neha Chavan explained,
  

  She stayed about 25 kms away from the training centre so she woke up at 4.30 am every day to be here for practice around 5.30 am. In the evenings, she’d train until 8.30  pm every day.”

• In an interview, Elavenil Valarivan explained her relationship with her brother while winning the gold medal in 2019. She said that her brother was very supportive of her career. She narrated,
  

  I will dedicate this medal to my brother Ereivan. He is a Captain in the Indian Army. He is in the 17 Dogra Regiment. We never get a chance to meet up throughout the year Most of the time, we are both travelling. So, it is quiet to meet my brother and talk to him. He doesn’t get holidays. He has always been supportive of my career.”

• According to Elavenil Valarivan, the most important thing in sports was to be patient when the situations were not in favour of you. In an interview, she stated,
  

  In 2014, I joined Gagan sir’s academy. Patience – That is the topmost thing, I have learnt from Gagan sir. I have also learnt how to deal with situations when you can’t figure out what’s happening around (you).”

• Reportedly, in her name, Elavenil Valarivan, Valarivan is not her surname, but it is a name that belongs to her father or grandfather or an earlier male ancestor.

• Her academy named Gun for Glory received the National Award i.e. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskaar in 2019. ^[6]The Hindu

• On her selection in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, her mother said to a media house,
  

  For years, I have seen her toiling tirelessly from 5.30 am to 9 pm, without complaining even for once. Now, she mostly stays in Chennai, Pune or Delhi for training, and we don’t get to see her too often in Ahmedabad. She never gets carried away by success, and I hope that her level-headed attitude will help her in winning many more medals for India.”

• In 2021, Elavenil Valarivan was selected to represent India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that were earlier postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.