On the second day of competition, India further won a silver medal through Manish Narwal in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final and two bronze medals, one of which was claimed by Mona Agarwal in the same event as Avani, the other by Preethi in the women’s 100m (T35) event.
Avani’s journey to gold began with her participation in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) category. She scored 249.7, breaking her own previous Paralympic record of 249.6, set during the 2021 Summer Paralympics in Japan.
The competition was intense, with Avani narrowly surpassing Korea’s Lee Yunri, who shot 246.8 for silver.
Mona, also from India and competing in the SH1 category due to polio-related leg impairment, scored 228.7 to claim the bronze, marking the first double podium finish for India in the same event at the Games.
Avani’s win makes her the first Indian to win two consecutive Paralympic gold medals. The achievement comes after she faced several health challenges, including a gallbladder surgery in March, which forced a one-and-a-half-month break. Despite losing weight due to the surgery, she trained diligently at the Karni Singh shooting ranges to regain her strength and mental fortitude for the Paris Games.
“It was a very close final. There was very less gap between 1, 2 and 3. I was focussing on my thought process and not the result,” Avani said after her historic win.
“I’m happy that the Indian national anthem was the first national anthem that got played in the arena this time too. I have two more matches to go so I’m focusing on winning more medals for the country,” the ace shooter added.
Avani’s journey to becoming a top para-shooter began at the age of 11 when she was paralyzed waist-down due to a car accident. Competing in the SH1 category, which includes athletes with impairments in arms, lower trunk, or legs, as well as those with no limbs, Avani displayed remarkable composure in the final.
She trailed behind Lee Yunri by mere decimal points, but Lee’s poor last shot of 6.8 handed the victory to Avani, who shot a solid 10.5.
Manish added to India’s medal tally with a silver in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final.
Preethi, competing in the women’s 100m (T35) category, secured a bronze medal with a personal best performance.
The achievements placed India in the 10th spot in the overall standings, ahead of Japan and Korea.
Mona, who secured bronze in the same event as Avani, is a 37-year-old athlete from Sikar, Rajasthan. She has faced societal prejudice due to her lower leg impairment caused by polio during childhood.
Before finding her niche in shooting, Mona dabbled in various sports including shot-put, powerlifting, and wheelchair volleyball. Her journey to the Paralympic podium is a testament to her resilience and determination.
With the extraordinary performances of Avani, Mona, Manish, and Preethi, India achieved significant success in Paris. Avani’s determination and training paid off despite the challenges she faced leading up to the Games.
Manish misses out on gold
Manish, a Tokyo Games gold-medallist shooter, secured a silver medal after shooting 234.9 at the recent competition.
The 22-year-old, who had won the 50m pistol gold in Tokyo three years ago, climbed from fifth place to the top in Paris, showing a determined effort to repeat his previous victory.
However, a series of poor shots in the ‘9s’ led to his drop to second place just when gold seemed within reach.
Manish was born with a deformity in his right hand.
First medal in track
Preethi won India’s first athletics medal in a Paralympics track event, earning a bronze in the women’s T35 100m competition with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.
The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
Preethi hails from a farmer’s family in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
She faced significant physical challenges from birth, with her lower body plastered for six days after she was born. Her weak legs and irregular leg posture made her susceptible to various diseases.
To strengthen her legs, she underwent various traditional treatments. From the age of five, she wore calipers for eight years.
Strong show in badminton, archery
Nitesh Kumar delivered an outstanding performance, defeating China’s Yang Jianyuan in straight games — 21-5, 21-11 — in his second men’s singles SL3 group A match to secure a spot in the semifinals of the para badminton competition.
Meanwhile, seasoned archer Rakesh Kumar began his campaign with a 136-131 win over Senegal’s Aliou Drame, moving into the pre-quarterfinals of the compound men’s open category.
Nitesh Kumar, a 29-year-old IIT Mandi graduate who suffered permanent leg damage due to a 2009 accident, showcased remarkable skill and dominance in his match against Yang.
The SL3 class is designated for players with severe lower limb disabilities, requiring play on a half-width court.
