JAIPUR: Opening India’s tally at the Paris Paralympics 2024, Rajasthan’s Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal shot their way to the podium with a gold and a bronze medal finish, respectively, in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Paris on Friday.
Jaipur’s Avani successfully defended her 2020 title with a score of 249.7, breaking her previous record of 249.6 in Tokyo. Sikar’s Mona, making her debut at the para games, recorded a score of 228.7. This is the first time in the history of Paralympics that two Indians finished on the podium in the same event.
It was a closely fought final and Avani ensured her focus remained intact. “It was a very close final. There was very little gap between 1, 2 and 3. I was focusing on my thought process and not the result,” Avani said after her historic win. “I’m happy that the Indian national anthem was the first national anthem to be played in the arena this time too. I have two more matches to go so I’m focusing on winning more medals for the country,” she added.
Mona also said she was inspired by Avani. “It was very difficult, but I succeeded. So, thank you. Being in the company of Avani helped,” the 37-year-old Sikar shooter said after the final.
It has been a long journey to the podium for Avani. Scarred by a near-fatal accident in 2011 that left her wheelchair-bound due to damage to her spinal cord, the 22-year-old regained her health and fighting spirit after she was introduced to shooting by her father, Pravin. Today, her ‘proud dad’ says he did the right thing by taking Avani to a shooting range – incidentally next door to their Jaipur home – confident that the move will help his daughter lead a full life again.
His confidence and Avani’s resilience have made her a star shooter and the first Indian to win gold twice in consecutive Paralympics outings. “Winning gold twice at the Paralympics is a big moment in her life. Her performance also shows how committed she has been to the sport, and that nothing is impossible if you give your 100% to whatever you do in life. I feel Avani can inspire all women, and especially the specially-abled to believe that nothing can hem them in,” Avani’s father told TOI, amid spontaneous celebrations that broke out following news of Avani’s spectacular performance at the shooting arena.
The 22-year-old gold medallist picked up the rifle for the first time in 2015. “The accident left her paralysed waist down. She went into a shell after the accident. To bring her back to life, I decided to introduce her to shooting so that she steps out of the home and interacts with people,” her father said.
After her stint in Tokyo, the young shooter’s life went through a complete turnaround. As her personal coach, Suma Shirur said, “Fame gave her new motivation, a new inspiration and made her more confident, both personally and professionally.”
The rifle shooter underwent gallbladder surgery in March this year and took nearly two months to return to training. Back at the shooting arena, though, Avani doubled her efforts to train. “Following her operation, she put in extra effort to cover the lost time. I was a bit worried, but her body supported her, and her champion's mindset helped her prevail in the final,” Shirur said.
Sikar’s Mona Agarwal’s story is a similar tale of determination and diligence. Afflicted by polio when she was nine months old, the wheelchair-bound Sikar shooter took a crack at shotput, discus throw, powerlifting and javelin, before finally settling for shooting in 2022. “She travelled looking for para women interested in volleyball and created a national team but realised that of all the games shooting will suit her body most,” said Yogesh Shekhawat, the coach at Eklavya Sports Shooting Academy in Jaipur, where Agarwal trained.
Married to a national para basketball player in Jaipur, Agarwal, a mother of two, has made her children proud. “She has a 5-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son. I don’t think her children need to look anywhere else for inspiration if they ever need it in life. They will be proud of their mother,” Shekhawat said.
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