Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Avani Lekhara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India | 8 November 2001||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Shooting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Air Rifle SH1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paralympic finals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest world ranking | 1 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Avani Lekhara (born 8 November 2001) is an Indian Paralympian and rifle shooter from Rajasthan. [3] She won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and defended the gold she won at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, thus making history by winning two back-to-back golds. She also won the bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event at Tokyo, becoming the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at a single Paralympic Games. [4] Lekhara is a two-time gold and one-time silver medalist at the Para Shooting World Cup. [5]
A car accident in 2012, at the age of 11, left her with complete paraplegia. Her father encouraged her to join sports, training in archery but moving to shooting in which she found her true passion. She currently studies law in Rajasthan University, India. [6] [7] She was student of Kendriya Vidyalaya 3 (Jaipur), where she received her first gold medal in regional match of shooting. [8]
She won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing and a bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. [9] Lekhara is ranked the World No. 1 in Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 as per World Shooting Para Sport Rankings. [10] She has been given out of turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forest by the Government of Rajasthan. [11]
Lekhara began shooting in 2015, inspired by former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and has since won several national and international titles. [12]
She is coached by Chandra Shekhar.
She is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. [13] [14] [15] Lekhara won India's first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, she set a Paralympic record and tied the world record. [16]
On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women's 50m air rifle standing event. [17] [18]
In Paris 2024, she won a gold again.
Avani has appeared in the Kalki presents 'My Indian Life' for young Indian adults in the twenty-first century examined by Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin. True stories from India, sometimes brutal, sometimes inspiring. The BBC World Service broadcasts the programme. [19]
Master Chief Petty Officer Sanjeev Rajput is an Arjuna Awardee Indian sport shooter from Yamuna Nagar, Haryana. He was a retired Junior Commissioned Officer in Indian Navy.
Abhinav Apjit Bindra OLY is an Indian Olympic gold medallist, retired sport shooter, and businessman. He is the first and one of only three Indians to win an Individual Olympic Gold Medal. He is the first Indian to have held concurrently the world and Olympic titles for the men's 10-meter air rifle event, having earned those honors at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships. Bindra has also won seven medals at the Commonwealth Games and three medals at the Asian Games.
Michael Johnson is a New Zealand Paralympic shooter who won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
India first participated in the 1968 Summer Paralympics. The nation has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since 1984. The Paris 2024 Games marked India's 13th appearance at the Paralympics. The country has never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.
Shooting is an important Olympic sport in India. Of India's 35 Olympic medals, four have come from shooting, including a gold by Abhinav Bindra in the 2008 Olympics. Indian shooters who have excelled at international events include Abhinav Bindra, Jaspal Rana, Jitu Rai, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Vijay Kumar, Gagan Narang, Apurvi Chandela, Ronjan Sodhi, Anjali Bhagwat, Heena Sidhu, Shreyasi Singh, Manu Bhaker,Avani_Lekhara,Mona_Agarwal, Anisa Sayyed, Rahi Sarnobat and Saurabh Chaudhary. Indian shooter Shimon Sharif is a well known shooting expert.
Sareh Javanmardi is an Iranian Paralympic shooter from Shiraz, Iran. Also known as Sareh Javanmardidodmani or Sareh Javanmardi Dodmani, she is the first ever female gold medalist from Iran to win in the shooting category of the Paralympics Games.
Apurvi Singh Chandela is an Indian Shooting player who competes in the 10 metre air rifle event. She won the gold medal in the 2019 ISSF World Cup in New Delhi. She is a recipient of Arjuna award.
Suma Shirur is a former Indian shooter who competed in the 10 metre air rifle event. She is a joint world record holder in the event, having scored the maximum of 400 points in the qualification round, which she achieved at the 2004 Asian Shooting Championships in Kuala Lumpur. In 2003, she was awarded the Arjuna Award by the government of India. She is currently the High Performance Coach of the Indian Jr. Rifle Shooting Team. She is also the coach of 2020 Paralympics women's SH1 10m rifle gold and women's SH1 50m 3-position rifle bronze medalist Avani Lekhara On 30 November 2022, she was conferred the Dronacharya Award by the 15th President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
India competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. The nation made its official debut at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since 1984. This is India's 10th appearance at the Summer Paralympics.
Anton Zappelli is an Australian Paralympic shooter. He represented Australia in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and has been selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Seonaid McIntosh is a British sports shooter who became the World Champion at the 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships in the 50m Prone Rifle event. In 2019 she became Britain's most successful female rifle shooter of all time, winning five World Cup medals. She also became the first British Woman to rank World #1 for the 50m Rifle Three Position event and became European Champion in the 300m Rifle Prone event with an equal World Record score.
India competed in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, from 24 August to 5 September 2021. India made its official debut at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since 1984.
Manish Narwal is an Indian Para Pistol Shooter. He ranks fourth in the world in Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1 according to the World Shooting Para Sport Rankings. He won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.
Rubina Francis is an Indian para pistol shooter. She won the bronze medal at the P2 10 m air pistol SH1 event at the 2024 Paralympics Games. She made history by becoming the first Indian woman to clinch a Paralympics medal in pistol shooting by winning a bronze.
Singhraj Adhana, known mononymously as Singhraj, is an Indian paralympian and shooter. He won a silver medal in the Mixed 50m pistol SH1 and a bronze medal in the Men's P1 10 metre air pistol SH1 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. He is currently supported by OGQ.
India is competing at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris from 28 August to 8 September 2024. The nation made its official debut at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since 1984. This is India's 13th appearance at the Summer Paralympics.
Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna is an Indian para shooter from Andhra Pradesh. He competes in men's R4 10m air rifle standing SH2, mixed 10m air rifle std SH2, R5 and mixed 10m prn SH2. He qualified to represent India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics at Paris. He became the second Indian shooter to qualify for the Paralympics.
Mona Agarwal is an Indian para shooter from Rajasthan. She competes in women's 10m air rifle SH1 category. She qualified to represent India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics at Paris. She won a quota place for the Paris Paralympics winning gold at the WSPS Para Shooting World Cup at New Delhi in March 2024. She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
Tanguy de La Forest is a French Paralympic shooter. He won two medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, a silver in the 10 m air rifle standing SH1 event and a gold in the 10 m air rifle prone SH2 event.
Lee Yun-ri, also known as Yunri Lee, is a South Korean paralympic sport shooter. She won the silver medal in the women's 10 metre air rifle standing SH1 event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)