Paris Paralympics 2024 Day 2: Indian Shooters Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal Qualify for Final of Women’s 10m Air Rifle Event

Ace Indian shooter Avani Lekhara delivered another sterling performance by qualifying for the Women's 10m air rifle final (SH1) in second place at the Paris Paralympics on Friday, August 30. This raises hopes of a Tokyo Games encore, where she had won the gold medal.

Compatriot Mona Agarwal, who too has been in sublime form in the last year, also qualified for the eight-shooter final in fifth place to give India a chance to bag two medals in the competition.

3 Chandigarh University Students to Represent India at the Paris Paralympics 2024.

While defending champion Avani shot a 625.8 to be placed behind Iryna Shchetnik, who broke the Paralympic Qualification Record with a score of 627.5, Mona, the two-time World Cup gold medallist competing in her maiden Paralympics, shot 623.1.

Indian shooters Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal qualify for final of women's 10m air rifle event (SH1) in Paris Paralympics pic.twitter.com/pqtloKfgI3

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 30, 2024

Avani, who is wheelchair-bound after a car mishap left her paralysed below the waist when she was 11 years old, had become the first woman shooter from the country to win medals in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.

Avani capped off her gold-medal performance in 10m air rifle with a bronze in 50m rifle 3-positions. The SH1 category in shooting involves shooters whose movement is affected in their arms, lower trunk, legs, or absence of limbs.