Sonam Maskar credits parents after winning Asian Games shooting silver

Rifle shooter Sonam Maskar dedicated her Asian Games silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event to her parents, crediting their support for her rise in the sport. India finished second with 1,897 points in Nagoya

Nagoya: Fresh off winning a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, Sonam Maskar dedicated the triumph to her mother and father, who have played a crucial role in her rise in the sport.

Sonam, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa Kochalumkal clinched the silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event after securing 1,897 points at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery.

Speaking after the win, Sonam dedicated her medal to her parents.

“It feels great to represent India at this level. I feel proud of winning the silver. I would dedicate this medal to my mom and dad; without them, I would not have been here,” Sonam told IANS.

She also thanked the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Railways and the Army for their support.

“I got a lot of support from the government. SAI supported me well. I’ve got support from my own sponsors too. The Indian Railways and the Army also supported me in my journey,” she said.

Sonam, a two-time silver medallist at the ISSF World Cups, said the team would wait for the men’s event the following day before celebrating the win together.

“We will be celebrating with the team. Tomorrow, the men’s event is also there, so we will be celebrating together after that,” she said.

Sonam also made it to the final of the 10m air rifle individual event but finished sixth, while fellow Indian Elavenil also clinched a silver there.

Elavenil backed her team silver with an individual silver after finishing second in a tense women’s 10m air rifle individual final.

Elavenil came within touching distance of a gold medal before Japan’s Hinata Taichi produced a decisive finish to claim gold with an Asian Games record score of 253.0. Elavenil finished on 252.4 for silver, while South Korea’s Ban Hyo-jin clinched the bronze with a score of 230.4.