India began its campaign at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a memorable achievement as para shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara secured gold and silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event on October 19. Mona delivered a record-breaking performance to claim the top position, while Avani finished just 0.4 points behind to take silver. Their impressive one-two finish gave India its first medals of the tournament and highlighted the country's growing strength in international para shooting.
Mona Agarwal shooting record seals 10m air rifle gold
Mona Agarwal produced an outstanding performance in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 final, scoring 250.0 points to win the gold medal and establish a new Asian Para Games record.
The Indian shooter surpassed the previous Games record of 249.6 points, held by compatriot Avani Lekhara. The closely contested final saw both athletes maintain strong performances, with Mona eventually securing victory by a narrow margin.
Mona had already demonstrated her excellent form during the qualification round, where she topped the standings with 629.1 points across six series. Her score established a new Asian Para Games qualification record, surpassing the previous mark held by China's Zhang Cuiping.
Her qualification performance was also just 0.3 points below the world record of 629.4, jointly held by Avani Lekhara and Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova.
The gold medal marked a significant achievement for Mona, who had finished sixth at the previous Asian Para Games. She also won bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, making her latest victory another important milestone in her shooting career.
Avani Lekhara silver medal gives India a double podium finish
Avani Lekhara continued her impressive international career by claiming the silver medal with 249.6 points. The two-time Paralympic gold medallist challenged Mona throughout the final but narrowly missed out on the top position.
South Korea's Lee Yunri finished third with 227.9 points to secure the bronze medal.
Earlier, Avani had qualified for the final after scoring 626.4 points, finishing second behind Mona in the qualification round.
The silver added another major achievement to Avani's career. She previously won gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics and also claimed gold at the previous Asian Para Games.
Apart from her medal-winning performance, Avani secured a quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics. Mona had already earned a quota through the World Championships.
The result was particularly special for India as both shooters occupied the top two positions in the same event, opening the country's medal tally with gold and silver.
Their performances reflected the consistency and competitive strength of Indian para shooters on the international stage.
With a record-breaking gold medal and a closely contested silver, Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara provided an encouraging start to India's 2026 Asian Para Games campaign. Their achievement also strengthened hopes for more medals as the country's athletes continue competing across different sporting disciplines in Japan.
