Valarivan posted a 252.4 final in the women’s 10m air rifle, snatching a silver and pushing India to a joint‑10th place on the medal table.
She had the lead for most of the final, but a string of loose shots in the last stages let Japan’s Hinata Taichi overtake her by 0.6 points to claim gold with a Games record 253.0.
Earlier, Valarivan teamed up with Sonam Uttam Maskar and debutant Vidarsa Vinod to capture a silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team, the first podium finish for the trio.
India also tasted success elsewhere: the women’s cricket side raced into the final after a 120‑run surge over Bangladesh, while the men’s hockey squad opened with a 13‑1 win over Indonesia and the women’s team demolished Uzbekistan 19‑0.
With China and Japan already topping the standings, India’s Day‑1 haul keeps the nation in the top‑ten and sets the stage for a push in badminton and table tennis as the Games move into the next phase.