Asian Para Games 2026: In the Asian Para Games 2026, Indian shooters Mona Agarwal and Avni Lekhara performed brilliantly and won the country gold and silver medals in the same event. Mona won the gold medal in the women's 10 meter air rifle standing SH1 event held in Nagoya, Japan on Monday, while Avni had to be content with silver. With this achievement the first day of the competition became special for India.
Mona topped the finals by scoring 250.0 marks. Whereas, Avani Lekhara stood second with 249.6 marks. Yunri Lee of South Korea won the bronze medal by scoring 227.9 points. The fight between Mona and Avni was so close that the winner could not be decided till the last shot.
The competition for gold continued till the last shot
There was a tough competition between the two Indian shooters till the 24 shots of the final were completed. Just before the deciding shot the difference in the score was just 0.1 point. At that time Mona's marks were reported as 239.1 and Avni's marks were 239.2. In the final shot, Mona scored 10.8 points, while Avni's score was 10.5. This difference decided the medals of both.
These two shooters from Jaipur once again showcased the strength of Indian para shooting with their performance. This gold medal was a special achievement for Mona, while Avni contributed to India's medal tally by winning the silver medal.
India gets second quota for Los Angeles Paralympics
With Avani Lekhara's silver medal, India has been reported to have got the second quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Earlier, Mona Aggarwal had secured the first quota for India by winning a silver medal in the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Championship held in South Korea last month.
In SH1 category, such shooters participate whose functionality of lower limbs is affected and who shoot while sitting or standing as per the prescribed rules. In this category, accurate aim, concentration and control under pressure play an important role.
PMO congratulated both
Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara were congratulated from the official social media account of the Prime Minister's Office. On Mona's gold medal, the Prime Minister praised her performance and said that her score has also created a new record for the Asian Para Games. He described Mona's accuracy, determination and restraint as remarkable.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Avani Lekhara on her silver medal. The message praised his continued good performance and strong willpower and wished him success in future competitions.
Important achievement for Indian para shooting
Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara's medals are important achievements for the Indian contingent. India have made a strong start to the competition by winning gold and silver in the same event. Now the performance of both the players is expected to encourage Indian para shooting for further competitions.