Tokyo [Japan]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian para shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara after they secured gold and silver medals, respectively, in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, giving India its first medals of the competition.
Agarwal clinched gold with a score of 250 points, setting a new Asian Para Games record and surpassing the previous mark of 249.6 set by Lekhara at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Lekhara finished second with 249.6 points, completing a one-two finish for India in the event.
In a post on X shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi praised Agarwal’s precision, determination and composure, describing her record-breaking performance as a remarkable achievement.
“Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning Gold in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026! Thanks to her outstanding score, she has also set a new Asian Para Games Record! It is a remarkable achievement that makes India’s opening day even more special. Her precision, determination and composure are truly commendable. Wishing her continued success in the competitions ahead,” the PMO quoted Modi as saying.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Lekhara on her silver medal, commending her consistency and determination.
“A splendid Silver for @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations to her on winning Silver in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an impressive score. Her consistency and determination continue to make the nation proud. Best wishes for her future endeavours,” Modi said in another message shared by the PMO.
While the women’s event brought India two medals, the country’s shooters missed out on the podium in the men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final.
Mahavir Swaroop Unhalkar finished fourth with 205.9 points after being eliminated following the fifth series, while debutant Rakesh Nidagundi placed seventh with 141.5 points.
Earlier in the day, Agarwal had set a new Asian Para Games qualification record, topping the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 standings with 629.1 points across six series.
Her score surpassed the previous qualification record held by China’s Zhang Cuiping and fell just 0.3 points short of the world record of 629.4, jointly held by Lekhara and Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova.
Lekhara finished second in qualification with 626.4 points, securing India’s strong position ahead of the medal round.
In the men’s qualification event, Nidagundi and Unhalkar advanced to the final after finishing seventh and eighth with scores of 619.3 and 617.4, respectively.
However, India’s Anandha Krishnan failed to qualify for the final, finishing 13th with 605.2 points.
The gold-silver finish by Agarwal and Lekhara marked a strong start to India’s shooting campaign at the continental competition.
[DD News]