Indian Shooters Face Travel Issues Despite Asian Games Silvers

India’s shooting contingent opened its Asian Games 2026 medal tally with two silver medals, but the team has continued to face reported logistical difficulties travelling between its hotel and the competition venue in Aichi-Nagoya.

Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event. Valarivan then added a second silver in the individual 10m air rifle competition at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Range. The results gave India an early return in shooting, although the contingent’s travel arrangements have remained a concern since its arrival in Japan.

Travel problems reported from arrival onward

According to NDTV sources, the Indian shooters and coaches have encountered multiple delays and transport issues during the opening days of the Games. The team landed in Japan on September 15 and was made to wait for nearly three hours at the airport before the players and coaches were escorted to their hotel.

September 16 was a rest day, but transport problems were reported when the team resumed its programme. On September 17, shooters and coaches were forced to wait another three hours after no bus arrived to take them to the competition venue.

An additional bus was allocated on September 18 and September 19, yet the full contingent was still unable to travel together to the shooting range for practice sessions. That meant the extra transport did not resolve the issue of accommodating the entire team for its trips to the venue.

The situation continued on September 20, the day India secured its two silver medals. The bus reportedly did not have enough seats for all members of the group, forcing the coaches to get off so the athletes could reach the venue on time. The shooters then had to wait for the coaches to arrive before they could begin their preparations.

On September 21, the team faced a delayed and difficult entry process before waiting around 20 minutes to board a bus because of long queues. Organisers had estimated an 80-minute journey from the hotel to the shooting range, but the trip took more than two hours.

The sequence of reported problems has placed the focus on basic access to the venue as India continues its shooting campaign. The team has already produced medal-winning performances, led by Valarivan’s individual and team-event silvers, while athletes and coaches have also had to contend with waits at the airport, missed or insufficient bus capacity, and longer-than-estimated journeys.

India’s shooting programme continues on September 21

India has further qualification events scheduled in shooting on September 21. Himanshu Dhillon, Parth Rakesh Mane and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil are listed for the men’s 10m air rifle individual qualification at 6.15 AM.

The women’s skeet individual qualification, Day 1, is scheduled at 6.30 AM and includes Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan. The men’s skeet individual qualification, Day 1, is also scheduled for 6.30 AM, with Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Bhavtegh Singh Gill named in the Indian contingent.

For India, the two silver medals in women’s 10m air rifle have provided a positive start at Asian Games 2026. However, the reported travel issues remain part of the team’s immediate experience in Aichi-Nagoya as more shooters prepare to compete.