Mona Agarwal

Mona Agarwal

Agarwal in September 2024
Personal information
Born	(1987-11-08) 8 November 1987 (age 37)
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Para Shooting
Medal record Representing   India Women's para-shooting Paralympic Games 2024 Paris 10 m air rifle standing SH1

Mona Agarwal (born 8 November 1987) ^[1] 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. ^[2] She won a quota place for the Paris Paralympics winning gold at the WSPS Para Shooting World Cup at New Delhi in March 2024. ^[3] She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. ^[4]

Early life

Agarwal is born in Sikar, Rajasthan. She took up shooting in December 2021 after trying different other sports including volleyball. Her husband, Ravindra Chaudhary, a former wheelchair basketball player, suffered brain injury in an accident, and is under rehab at home. She got a polio attack when she was nine months old. ^[2] She shifted to Jaipur after marriage. ^[5] Due to stigma against girls, she could not complete her schooling. After two elder sisters, her parents wanted a boy but Mona was an 'unwanted' child in the conservative family. But her maternal grandmother, Geetha Devi, supported her. ^[5] She has a son, Avik and a daughter Aarvi.

Career

Agarwal made her international debut at the World Cup in Osijek, Croatia in July 2023. ^[5] After the Delhi gold, she won another gold at the Para World Cup in Changwon, Korea in April 2024. ^[6]

References

1. "Meet Mona Agarwal, the polio-stricken athlete and mother of two who won shooting bronze at Paralympics". Firstpost. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
2. PTI (2024-03-09). "Para Shooting World Cup: Athlete-turned-shooter Mona Agarwal claims gold in 10m air rifle event, aims more glory". Sportstar. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
3. "Para shooter Mona Agarwal wins 10m air rifle gold, clinches Paris Paralympic quota for India". The Times of India. 2024-03-09. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2024-08-13.
4. "Once mocked for being girl child and polio-stricken, Mona Agarwal is now a Paralympics medallist". The Indian Express. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
5. "Para shooter Mona Agarwal turns adversity into her biggest strength". Indianshooting. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
6. PTI. "Funds to buy new wheelchair hindering champion para shooter Mona Agarwal's Paralympic preparation". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-08-13.