Mona Agarwal wins women’s 10m air rifle gold as Avani Lekhara takes silver at Asian Para Games

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian para shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara on their medal wins as they secured a double-podium finish in the women’s 10m air rifle final at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday, with Mona clinching gold and Avani taking silver. The duo’s performance earned India its first medals of the competition. Agarwal also set a new Asian Para Games record with her gold-medal-winning score of 250 after the seventh series, surpassing the previous record of 249.6 set by Lekhara at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Meanwhile, Lekhara secured the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle final at the 2026 Asian Para Games with a score of 249.6 after the seventh series.In an X post by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi congratulated Mona Agarwal on winning gold and setting a new Asian Para Games record, praising her precision, determination and composure while wishing her success in the upcoming competitions.Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026! Thanks to her outstanding score, she has also set a new Asian Para Games Record! It is a remarkable achievement that makes India's opening day even more…— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 19, 2026 “Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026! Thanks to her outstanding score, she has also set a new Asian Para Games Record! It is a remarkable achievement that makes India's opening day even more special. Her precision, determination and composure are truly commendable. Wishing her continued success in the competitions ahead: PM @narendramodi,” reads the X post by the PMO.PM Modi also congratulated Avani Lekhara on winning the silver medal, praising her consistency and determination and wishing her success in future competitions.A splendid Silver for @AvaniLekhara!Congratulations to her on winning Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an impressive score. Her consistency and determination continue to make the nation proud. Best wishes for her future…— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 19, 2026 “A splendid Silver for @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations to her on winning Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an impressive score. Her consistency and determination continue to make the nation proud. Best wishes for her future endeavours: PM @narendramodi,” he said.While the women’s 10m air rifle final saw India secure a 1-2 finish, the men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 final ended without a medal for the country. Mahavir Swaroop Unhalkar finished fourth with a score of 205.9, exiting after the fifth series, while debutant Rakesh Nidagundi secured seventh place with 141.5 points.Asian Para Games 2026: Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan Assured Of Para Badminton Medal After Reaching Mixed Doubles Semifinals Earlier on the day, Mona Agarwal also set a new Asian Para Games qualification record to top the women's 10m air rifle qualifications event, while compatriot Avani Lekhara finished second.Agarwal topped the qualification round at the 2026 Asian Para Games, setting a new continental record with a score of 629.1 after Series 6. She surpassed the previous Asian Para Games qualification record held by China’s Zhang Cuiping but narrowly missed the world record of 629.4, jointly held by India's Avani Lekhara and Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova.Lekhara finished second in the qualification round with a total score of 626.4, ensuring India's strong showing in the event heading into the finals.Meanwhile, in the men's 10m air rifle qualifications event, Nidagundi and Unhalkar secured qualification for the finals after finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Nidagundi scored 619.3, while Unhalkar registered 617.4 after Series 6. However, India's Anandha Krishnan missed out on qualification, finishing 13th with a score of 605.2. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Mona Agarwal set an Asian Para Games record of 250.0, edging two-time Paralympic champion Avani by a mere 0.4 points

Mona Agarwal scored 250.0 points in the final at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery to set a new Asian Para Games record. She broke the previous record of 249.6 points, set by Avani Lekhara at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

Mona Agarwal claimed the gold with a Games record, while Avani Lekhara took the silver in the same event as India opened its medal account at the Asian Para Games.

India opened its medal account at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a spectacular performance in para shooting. Mona Agarwal won gold, while Avani Lekhara secured silver in the women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. The Indian duo delivered an impressive one-two finish to give the country a memorable start to its campaign.Mona Agarwal Sets New Asian Para Games RecordNews Alert! India's Mona Agarwal wins women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 gold medal at Asian Para Games, Avani Lekhara takes silver in same event. pic.twitter.com/TYshYjDbIk— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 19, 2026 Mona claimed the gold medal with a score of 250.0 points, setting a new Asian Para Games record in the final. She had earlier topped the qualification round with 629.1 points, establishing a new Asian Para Games qualification record. Before the Games, Mona had established herself among the leading shooters in the category with a strong international record. Her gold medal added another feather to her cap and strengthened India's presence in para shooting. Asian Para Games 2026 Paralympics bronze medalist Mona Agarwal is APG champion with APGR ✌️Defending Champion Avani wins silver double podium for India in R2 Women's 10M Air Rifle Standing SH1 ✌️ pic.twitter.com/ZCgyZt5fw0— Aniket Mohanty (@Aniketm90942912) October 19, 2026 Avani Lekhara Adds Another Medal to Her CollectionAvani finished second with 249.6 points, narrowly missing the gold by just 0.4 points. The silver medal further added to her impressive achievements in para shooting and continued her success at major international competitions. Her performance ensured that India secured both the top two positions in the event.Before the Asian Para Games, Avani had already made history by winning gold in the women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She also held the world record in qualification with a score of 629.4 points, alongside Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova. That mark was broken by Mona Agarwal.

Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara achieved a remarkable feat in the women's 10m air rifle event. Mona secured the gold medal with a score of 250.0 points. Avani followed closely behind, earning a silver medal at 249.6 points. Both shooters showcased their skills throughout the competition, finishing well ahead of their rivals. This performance adds to India's success at the 2026 Asian Para Games.

Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara showcased extraordinary talent in the women's 10m Air Rifle qualification, with Agarwal setting a new Asian Para Games record at 629.1 points, just shy of the world record. Lekhara followed closely, securing second place with 626.4 points, both athletes are primed for medal contention in the finals. In a stunning display, Sheetal Devi matched the world record in para-archery, achieving 704 points.