Vidarsa Vinod becomes Kerala’s first female shooter to win Asian Games medal

Vidarsa K Vinod became the first female sportsperson from Kerala to win an Asian Games medal in shooting after securing silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Sunday.

Competing at her first Asian Games, Vidarsa teamed up with Elavenil Valarivan and Sonam Uttam Maskar to open India’s shooting campaign with a silver medal.

The 27-year-old had narrowly missed the individual final after finishing 12th in qualification but quickly put that disappointment behind her.

“I can say that I was a bit disappointed. There were two series where I was a little off,” Vidarsa said. “I am feeling happy because I was not ready to give up.”

Despite making her Asian Games debut, she said the occasion did not overwhelm her.

“Nothing like I had a lot of expectations and everything, like Asian Games, big games, something. But I didn't feel any different. It felt like a normal competition, only different people,” she said.

“It's just the name Asian Games. Rest felt the same.”

Vidarsa began shooting in 2018 as an NCC cadet while studying at St Mary’s College in Kerala. She turned professional the following year after recognising her potential and moved to Delhi in 2022 for specialised training.

Her international debut came at the 2025 Asian Championships in Kazakhstan, where she won her first international medal.

Interestingly, the 10m air rifle is a relatively new event for Vidarsa. She began training specifically for it only two months ago and competed in her first 10m event at the World Cup in China.

Her primary event remains the 50m rifle three positions, which she will contest on September 26.

“3P is my main event. So, I have no doubt about the competition. I am fully prepared for it,” she said.

Vidarsa credited her parents, husband, family and coach for her Asian Games medal. She also welcomed Kerala’s recently announced cash rewards of Rs 30 lakh for silver medallists.

The Asian Games medal, she said, has given her added motivation heading into her main event.

(With inputs from PTI)