India Shines at Paris Paralympics: Golden Start in Shooting

Avani Lekhara, an Indian para-athlete, achieved historic shooting achievements in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event, setting a new Paralympic record with a score of 249.7. She became the first Indian to claim successive gold medals and won a third medal overall.

Historic Shooting Achievements

Avani Lekhara defended her gold medal in women's 10m air rifle (SH1)
- Set a new Paralympic record with a score of 249.7
- Became the first Indian to claim successive Paralympic gold medals
- Third Paralympic medal overall (2 gold, 1 bronze)
Mona Agarwal won bronze in the same event
- First Paralympic podium finish with a score of 228.7
Double podium finish: A first for India in Paralympics
Manish Narwal secured silver in the men's air rifle event

Avani Lekhara's Remarkable Journey

Born on November 8, 2001, in Jaipur, Rajasthan
Paralyzed below the waist at age 11 due to a car accident
Started shooting in 2015, winning first gold at National Championship

Notable achievements:

- 2017: Silver at AI Ain World Cup, Bronze at Bangkok World Cup
- 2018: Three gold medals at World Shooting Para Sport World Cup
- 2020 Tokyo Paralympics: Gold (10m air rifle) and Bronze (50m rifle)
- 2024 Paris Paralympics: Gold (10m air rifle)

Awards and recognition:

- 2021: Khel Ratna Award
- 2022: Padma Shri
- Young Indian of the Year by GQ India
- Best Female Debut at Paralympic Awards

Other Paralympic Successes

Preethi Pal: Bronze in Women's T25-100m event
- First Indian para-athlete to achieve this feat
Manish Narwal: Silver in Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 event
Mona Agarwal: Bronze medal victory
Overall strong performance by Indian contingent on day one

Celebrity Reactions

Bollywood stars celebrated the athletes' achievements on social media
Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Sonali Bendre, Jackky Bhagnani, Sonu Sood, and Rakul Preet Singh congratulated the winners
Messages of pride and inspiration shared across platforms

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