Inspired by the achievements of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, Avani transitioned to competitive shooting in 2015 and a decade later she has become a celebrated para shooter.
Avani Lekhara, India's Paralympic shooting sensation, continued her reign of dominance at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
PM Modi congratulated Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal for winning medals in the women's 10m air rifle final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics
Congratulate shooter Avani Lekhara -- the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics.
Avani Lekhara missed out on a second medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games and finished fifth after putting up a strong fight in the final of the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 competition in Paris on Tuesday.
Avani broke her own world record of 249.6 to secure her a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
A trainee of former Olympian shooter Suma Shirur, Avani Lekhara became India's first woman gold medallist at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Monday when she shot a total of 249.6 in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.
Mona Agarwal staged a remarkable comeback to win the gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event at the Asian Para Games, narrowly defeating compatriot Avani Lekhara who secured silver. This one-two finish marked India's opening medal account and secured a second quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Shrishti Arora secured a bronze medal for India in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. This marks India's fourth shooting medal at the Games, following earlier successes by Manish Narwal, Mona Agarwal, and Avani Lekhara.
Indian shooter Manish Narwal won a silver medal in the men's 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, securing a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. This makes him the third Indian para shooter to qualify for LA 2028.
Indian para shooters Millie Shah, Mona Agarwal, and Avani Lekhara secured a gold medal in the R2 women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 team event at the Changwon 2026 WSPS Para Shooting World Championships. The men's team also won silver, and individual medals were claimed by Mona Agarwal (silver) and Avani Lekhara (bronze), significantly boosting India's medal tally.
Indian para-shooter Mona Agarwal has secured a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games by winning a silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the WSPS World Championships in Changwon, South Korea. While Avani Lekhara won bronze in the same event, only the top two finishers secured quotas. Agarwal and Lekhara also combined to win a team gold.
Indian para shooters Manish Narwal and Shrishti Arora won silver and bronze respectively in the 10m air pistol SH1 events at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Narwal's silver also secured a quota place for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, making him the third Indian para shooter to do so. The contingent now has four medals.
The Sports Ministry has removed para-shooting coach Jai Prakash Nautiyal from India's Para Asian Games contingent following allegations of kickbacks and protests from athletes. The contingent of 166 athletes and 109 support staff is set to compete in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, starting October 18, with several prominent Paralympians included despite selection controversies.
India faces a challenging Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a significantly smaller contingent of 168 athletes, down from 303. While aiming to build on its record 111-medal haul from the last Games, selection disputes in para-shooting and para-cycling, coupled with reduced athlete numbers in key disciplines like para-athletics, pose hurdles. Despite these challenges, star athletes across para-athletics, archery, para-badminton, shooting, and table tennis are expected to lead India's medal charge.
Indian shooter Avani Lekhara said that she felt nice and happy after winning the gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.
India commenced its Asian Para Games campaign with a spectacular performance, securing 11 medals, including four gold, across various sports on Monday. Notable victories came from shooter Mona Agarwal, long jumper Nishad Kumar, middle-distance runner Soumya, and javelin thrower Rinku, with archer Sheetal Devi also setting world records. The medal haul places India fourth in the overall standings.
India's para-athletes concluded their Asian Para Games campaign with an unprecedented 114 medals, including 30 gold, marking their best performance to date. The final day was particularly successful, yielding nine gold medals across various disciplines. Notable achievements included world records set by Mona Agarwal in shooting, and Sandeep and Haney in athletics. Shuttlers Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar secured individual golds, while archer Harvinder Singh also contributed to the gold tally. The swimming contingent also exceeded expectations with 11 medals.
Winner of the gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, Avani Lekhara shot a remarkable 249.7, breaking her own Paralympic record of 249.6 set in Tokyo.
The 20-year-old Lekhara has already won the R2 - Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 gold with a world record effort on Day 1, and ensured India a quota for Paris 2024 Paralympics Games.
The 19-year-old shooter won gold in R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event on Monday before taking the 50m Rifle 3 Position SH1 bronze on Friday.
India schedule for the sixth day of the Paris Paralympics on Tuesday.
Lekhara put up a strong challenge in the R2 - women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 final but fell short in the end, losing to Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik by just 0.3 points.
Shooter Avani Lekhara scripted history on Monday as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, firing her way to the top of the podium in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event in Tokyo.
For her a competition, be it the World Cup or the Paralympic Games, is just an extension of her training regimen, which has to be followed to the tee.
A car accident in 2012 left Avani Lekhara wheelchair-bound but on Monday the shooter felt 'on top of the world' after becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.
How India's athletes fared at the Paris Paralympic Games on Friday.
India's medal tally at the ongoing Paralympics has gone up to 27, with six gold medals, nine silver medals, and 12 bronze medals.
Sania Mirza, the tennis icon, made a dazzling entry at the fifth Indian Sports Honours event, donning a stunning floral blazer suit.
The evening was graced by the presence of Paralympic athletes Navdeep Singh and Avani Lekhara, whose inspiring achievements have brought immense pride to the nation.
'I take one day at a time. I just want to give my best and stay in the present. I do not like to sit on the past glory or think far ahead. For this year, major competitions are done so the focus is on Paris Paralympics and winning more medals for the country.'
'...when I read Abhinav Bindra Sir's autobiography, it really inspired me, because he gave his 100 per cent to what he did and he won India's first individual gold medal.'
Following is India's schedule on Friday, Day 2 of the Paris Paralympics: (All timings in IST):
He congratulated each medal winner and said they had made the country proud with their performances.
Check out the schedule for India's athletes at the Paralympics in Paris on Saturday.
India's para-athletes, defying physical limitations, showcased exceptional determination in their recent Paralympic campaign, contributing to a historic medal haul of 29.
Flag bearer Tek Chand will lead the Indian contingent -- India will be represented by 54 para athletes, the biggest ever contingent in the history of the Games.
India rewrote several records and unlocked some new firsts at the Paralympic Games.
India have sent an 84-strong contingent of para-athletes, the largest ever in the country's history -- a heady mix of youth and experience, for the Paralympic Games, starting in Paris on Wednesday.
Star Indian pistol shooter Manu Bhaker was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics.
