Tokyo Paralympics: India's Avani Lekhara wins Gold medal in shooting - All you need to know

Tokyo 2020 Paralympics: Shooter Avani Lekhara on August 30, 2021, won India’s first gold medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing (SH1) event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games.19-year-old Lekhara created a Paralympics record by equaling the world record of Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik with a score of 249.6 that was set in 2018. Lakhera became the first Indian woman who won India’s first gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

China’s Cuiping Zhang won silver with a score of 248.9 and Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik won bronze with a score of 227.5.

In the morning, Lakhera had finished 7^th with a score of 621.7 in 10m AR Standing SH1 qualification. She has become the 5^th Indian athlete who won a gold medal in the Paralympics Games.

India has so far won 19 medals overall across all 11 editions of the Tokyo Paralympics Games since its beginning in 1960, including 5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze.

#IND's national anthem echoes across the arena as Avani Lekhara grabs a historic #Gold for her nation! 💪#Tokyo2020 #Paralympics #ShootingParaSport @AvaniLekharapic.twitter.com/Agv5Wptrfi

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) August 30, 2021

Phenomenal performance @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations on winning a hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting. This is truly a special moment for Indian sports. Best wishes for your future endeavours.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 30, 2021

Who is Avani Lekhara?

Avani Lekhara is an Indian Paralympic athlete in the shooting event. She currently ranks World No. 5 in Women’s 10m Air Rifle standing (SH1). Lakhera became the first Indian woman who won India’s first gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Paralympic Games: India's Gold Medal Winners - Full List