New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara for their impressive performances at the Asian Para Games 2026, winning gold and silver. Both athletes won medals for India in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.
Mona Agarwal set a new Asian Para Games record to win the gold medal, while Avani Lekhara won the silver. With these two medals, India opened its medal tally at the competition.
Mona Agarwal wins gold with a record score
Mona Agarwal won the gold medal with a score of 250 in the final, setting a new Asian Para Games record. She made a remarkable comeback after initially finishing fifth and challenged other shooters to take the top spot.
Mona broke her teammate Avani Lekhara’s previous Asian Para Games record. Avani had scored 249.6 points to win the gold medal in the previous edition held in Hangzhou.
However, Mona missed out on breaking the world record. This record is held by Irina Shchetnik of Slovakia, who scored 252 points.
Avani Lekhara wins silver medal
Avani Lekhara won the silver medal in this event with a score of 249.6. South Korea’s Eunri Lee took the bronze with 227.9 points.
Avani, who won the gold medal in the last Asian Para Games, won the silver medal this time. Her consistent performance has once again made the Indian sports world proud.
PM Modi praises both athletes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mona Agarwal, saying that her excellent score is a new record for the Asian Para Games. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO India) shared PM Modi’s message on the social media platform X.
The message said, “Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning the gold medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026. Her brilliant score also set a new Asian Para Games record.”
PM Modi further stated that this achievement makes the opening day of the competition even more special for India. He commended Mona’s precision shooting, determination, and composure, and wished her the best for future competitions.
Congratulating Avani Lekhara, the Prime Minister praised her performance and consistency. He said that Avani’s silver medal win is a matter of pride for the country and wished her the best for her future endeavors.
Important achievement for the Los Angeles Paralympics 2028
With this performance, Avani Lekhara has also secured a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Mona Agarwal had already secured her quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics during the World Championships last month.
This achievement of both the Indian shooters is also important in terms of preparations for the upcoming Paralympic Games.