Jaipur: Avni Lekhara of Rajasthan and Mona Agarwal of India won gold and bronze in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH-1 on Friday at the current Paralympic Games in Paris.
Avni has previously competed in the 2020 Paralympics and won gold and bronze medals. Mona is competing in her first Paralympic Games at the same time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the duo for their strong outing in the Paralympic Games, IANS reported.
"Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning the Bronze medal in the R2 Women 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Paris Paralympics 2024! Her remarkable achievement reflects her dedication and quest for excellence. India is proud of Mona," PM Modi wrote on X.
"India opens its medal account in the Paralympics 2024! Congratulations to Avani Lekhara for winning the coveted Gold in the R2 Women 10M Air Rifle SH1 event. She also creates history as she is the 1st Indian woman athlete to win 3 Paralympic medals! Her dedication continues to make India proud," he added.
Avni also performed brilliantly in the Paralympic Games 2020 played in Tokyo and won the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle SH-1 event. She also got bronze in the 50m rifle. She became the first female para-athlete from India to win two medals in the same edition of the Paralympics. Thereafter, she also won the gold medal in the Para Shooting World Cup.
Inspired by the achievements of Abhinav Bindra, Avani transitioned to competitive shooting in 2015. Her dedication and natural talent quickly propelled her to success, as she accumulated victories at both national and international levels. She made history by setting World Records at junior and senior levels, establishing herself as a rising star in para shooting.
Avni has so far received many awards including Padma Shri, Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, Young Indian of the Year, and Para Athlete of the Year. Industrialist Anand Mahindra also gifted her a special XUV-700 customised for her.
The Rajasthan government appointed her to the post of ACF in the Forest Department. Further, she has also been announced as the brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign under the Women and Child Development Department.
Mona (37) won the gold medal in the WSPS Para Shooting World Cup, the fourth international tournament of her career, on March 9 this year. She won the gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH-1 category and secured a quota for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Earlier, Mona has played up to the state level in shot put and weightlifting. Mona suffered from polio a few months after her birth. She is blessed with two children and is married to a national para basketball player in Jaipur.
She was stricken by polio when she was nine months old. This 37-year-old wheelchair-bound athlete from the Sikar district of Rajasthan is now residing in Jaipur.
In December 2021, Mona decided to pursue an individual sport and chose rifle shooting. Her talent was evident from the start, winning a national silver medal in 2022. By mid-2023, she had already claimed a bronze medal in the mixed team event at her first international World Cup and finished 6th at the 4th Asian Para Games.
In her fourth international event, Mona's perseverance paid off as she secured a gold medal and a Paralympic quota, and set a new Asian record. Her story is a testament to her unwavering resolve to overcome adversity and achieve greatness.
Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde has congratulated the two players on their victory. He said that Avani has made India proud across the world. Bagde also expressed happiness over Mona winning the bronze medal and congratulated her. He said that the victory of both of them was the victory of women's power.