Shooter Avani Lekhara first Indian woman to win Gold at Paralympics
The 19-year-old shooter equalled the world record in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event as well And the medals tally continues to increase for as Avani Lekhara brings home the Gold in 10m AR Shooting.
Indian athletes have put their best-ever performance in the history of Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
They won five medals on Monday, including two golds, taking the country’s tally of medals to eight.
Their previous best performance was at the 2016 Rio Games, when the contingent won four medals – two golds, one silver and one bronze.
Shooter Avani Lekhara created sporting history after becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympics gold medal.
The 19-year-old won with an impressive score of 149.6 in the final event of women’s 10m air rifle standing at Tokyo on Monday. With this, Lekhara has set a new Paralympic record and has also equalled the world record.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “truly special moment for Indian sports”.
Shooter Avani Lekhara first Indian woman to win Gold at Paralympics
Avani Lekhara
Currently ranked fifth in the women’s 10m air rifle standing, Tokyo is Lekhara’s maiden appearance at the Paralympic Games.
Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Indian athletes make history
Lekhara has a chance to win more medals as she will be competing in three other events.
A law student in the northern state of Rajasthan, she was paralysed below her waist in 2012 after a major car accident. She was 11 at that time.
It was her father who encouraged her to take up sports. The 19-year-old is also trained in archery, though shooting turned out to be her ultimate calling.
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According to reports, she took up up the sport after reading Abhinav Bindra’s, who is India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, autobiography.
