“Testament to perseverance and talent” – Manu Bhaker congratulates Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal on winning medals in Paris 2024 Paralympics

India’s star pistol shooter Manu Bhaker congratulated para-shooters Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal for winning the gold and bronze medals respectively in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event on Friday (August 30) at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Lekhara made history by becoming the first female Indian para-athlete to win two Paralympic gold medals, having won the top prize in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as well. Meanwhile, 36-year-old Agarwal also made for an incredible story by winning a bronze medal in her first-ever Paralympic Games appearance.

In a social media post on X, Bhaker wrote:

“A big congratulations to Avani Lekhara on her incredible Gold medal achievement and to Mona Agarwal for clinching the Bronze at the Paris Paralympics! Your achievements are a testament to perseverance and talent. Well done! 🎉🏅👏"

Manu Bhaker has become a household name since winning an unprecedented two bronze medals in the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics.

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Avani Lekhara wins gold, Mona Agarwal clinches bronze in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event

Avani Lekhara, who was already one of the most decorated members among the 84 para-athletes in India’s contingent for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, made history by opening the country’s gold medal tally in the quadrennial event.

Lekhara bagged the first position with a new Paralympic record score of 249.7, breaking her own Tokyo 2020 record of 249.6. With this victory, she became the first Indian para-athlete since Devendra Jhajharia to win two Paralympic gold medals.

In a closely fought final round contest, the top two positions were a cat-and-mouse chase between Lekhara and South Korea’s Lee Yunri. Both of the para-shooters registered a flurry of 10+ scores to set up a tense finish, but a poor 6.8 shot for the South Korean led to Lekhara emerging as the winner.

Meanwhile, Mona Agarwal too scripted a fairytale story for her para-sports career with a bronze medal win in the event on Friday. She finished in third position with a score of 228.7. This is an astonishing achievement for the Rajasthan-born para-shooter, who claimed a podium finish despite only picking up the sport in mid-2021.