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 here. The 19-year-old from Jaipur, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, finished with a world record equalling total of 249. She is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972), javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).
I can’t describe this feeling, I’m feeling like I’m on top of the world.
It’s unexplainable,” an elated Lekhara said. Hers is also the first shooting medal that India has logged in the showpiece. “I’m so happy I could be the one to contribute it.
Hopefully there’s a lot of medals more to come,” Lekhara said. Avani Lekhara edged out 2016 Rio Games gold-medallist Cuiping Zhangh of China who clinched the silver medal with a total of 248.
9 at the Asaka Shooting Range. She has made the country proud by winning the gold medal. She has also inspired many people who gave up their hope of never playing again.
Avani Lekhara suffered a horrific car accident in 2012, which caused severe injuries to her spinal cord. She has been bound to a wheelchair since the accident. Lekhara’s life changed after she read Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography, ‘A Shot At History’, which inspired her to take up shooting. In her very first Rajasthan state championship in 2015, Lekhara won a bronze and announced herself in style to the para-shooting world. Avani Lekhara is currently ranked fifth in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1. She bagged a silver medal at the recent Para Shooting World Cup. Lekhara scored 248.7 in the final and missed out on gold by a 0.3 point margin.
Avani Lekhara won a silver medal at the IPC Para Shooting World Cup in 2017. She added another medal after winning silver at the 2019 Para Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia. Lekhara won the gold at the first National Para-shooting championships in the women’s R2 10m air rifle women’s SH1 earlier this year. Avani Lekhara has been sensational in international competitions over the last few years. However, she will face a stiff challenge at the Paralympics from Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik and Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova.
The two are currently ranked World No.1 and 2, respectively. Lekhara will have to be at her very best if she hopes to compete against these two European heavyweights. Another daughter of India makes us proud! Congratulations to Avani Lekhara for creating history and becoming the first Indian woman to win a Gold at Paralympics. India is elated by your stellar performance! Our tricolour flies high at the podium due to your phenomenal feat.
Avani Lekhara has been wheelchair-bound since a road accident in 2012. Inspired to take up the sport of shooting after reading Indian Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography ‘A Shot At History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold’, 19-year-old Avani Lekhara etched her name in the history books herself becoming India’s first women para-athlete to claim a gold medal at the Paralympic Games, with no less than a world record-equaling effort in Women’s 10m Air Rifle.
Avani who works as an Assistant Conservator of Forests in Rajasthan and trains at the JDA Shooting Range in Jaipur, shot 621.7 points to finish seventh in qualification and secure a place in the final. She has been wheelchair-bound since a road accident in 2012. The school topper believes life is not about holding good cards but playing well with those one holds. She has done wonders for the country.
“I’m so happy I could be the one to contribute it. Hopefully there’s a lot of medals more to come.” She has not looked back since firing her first shot some six years ago, enjoying every bit of the precision sport while working her way to glory at the showpiece. “It seems very homely when I lift a rifle. I feel a connection towards it. When you have to focus and the consistency, that’s what I like about shooting,” she said.
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