Who is Avani Lekhara? All you need to know about Indian para rifle shooter at the Paris 2024 Paralympics
Indian para-rifle shooter Avani Lekhara is all set to take part in three different events at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She would be part of the 10m air rifle SH1 event, the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event, and the 10m mixed air rifle prone SH1 event (with Sidhartha Babu).
Avani qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics after winning two gold medals in the 10m air rifle SH1 and 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 events at the World Cup 2022 in France.
Hailing from Jaipur, Rajasthan, Avani met with a car accident in 2021 at the age of 11, leaving her with complete paraplegia, a condition that affects a person's ability to move or feel the lower parts of their body.
Though her father encouraged her to train in archery, she found her true passion in shooting. She earned her first gold medal in the sport in the regional shooting match in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jaipur.
In 2018, she competed at the Asian Para Games and later qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Tokyo Paralympics and first gold
Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal after securing gold in the 10-meter air rifle standing at the Tokyo Paralympics. Later, she also secured a bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
Supported by the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), Lekhara is the first Indian female Paralympian to win multiple medals in a single Paralympic Games.
Avani Lekhara’s World Cup heroics
Avani Lekhara continued her good form at the World Cup 2022 in France, clinching gold medals in the 10m air rifle SH1 event and 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event. These gold medals propelled her to earn a spot in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
In the second World Cup 2022 in South Korea, she bagged a silver medal in the 10 meter air rifle SH1 event. In January 2023, she earned her World No. 1 rank in the women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 World Shooting Para Sport Rankings.
Asian Para Games and major awards
At the Asian Para Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, Avani Lekhara clinched a gold medal in the 10 m air rifle event. She was awarded the Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honor of India in 2021, and later in 2022, she was conferred with Padma Shri.