Anurag Thakur hails India's double podium at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Mona Agarwal set an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0 to claim gold while Avani Lekhara secured silver in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at Asian Para Games 2026. BJP MP Anurag Thakur celebrated the double podium finish, calling it a moment of national pride.
Key Takeaways
Mona Agarwal won gold with an Asian Para Games Record score of 250.0 in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.
Avani Lekhara secured silver in the same event, adding to her historic Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold .
India achieved a double podium finish — gold and silver — in a single para shooting event at Asian Para Games 2026 .
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, congratulated both athletes on October 19, 2026 .
India's para shooting success has grown steadily since 2016 , backed by Khelo India and the expanded Target Olympic Podium Scheme .
A golden moment and a silver lining — India's para shooters delivered a stunning double podium in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, and BJP MP Anurag Thakur was among the first to salute the feat on Monday, October 19, 2026.
Mona Agarwal claimed the Gold medal, setting an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0 in the process. Avani Lekhara, the celebrated para shooter who carried the nation's flag at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics — becoming the first Indian woman to win Paralympic gold in this discipline — secured Silver. Two athletes, one range, one unforgettable afternoon for Indian sport.
Mona Agarwal's record-breaking gold
A score of 250.0 is not just a gold — it is a statement. Agarwal's Asian Para Games Record signals a shift in the competitive hierarchy of the event, raising the bar that every rival on the continent must now chase. In a discipline measured in decimal points, the margin that sets a record is hard-won and meaningful.
Avani Lekhara: from Paralympic history to Asian podium
For Lekhara, the Silver adds another chapter to a career already etched into Indian sporting history. Her 2020 Tokyo Paralympic gold — the first by an Indian woman in shooting — transformed para-sport's visibility in the country. Standing on the same podium as a record-breaking teammate underscores how competitive Indian para shooting has become at the continental level.
The policy pipeline behind the podium
India's rise in para shooting does not happen in a vacuum. The Khelo India programme, launched in 2017, and the expansion of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) to para disciplines in 2018 created a dedicated funding and training pipeline for athletes competing beyond the mainstream. Consistent medal gains at the Paralympics and Asian Para Games since 2016 track closely with that investment cycle. Thakur, who served as Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, was directly associated with the administration of these schemes during a key phase of their growth.
His post — 'You've made the entire nation proud. Jai Hind! #Cheer4Bharat' — fits a broader pattern of senior BJP leadership publicly amplifying para-athlete achievements, reinforcing the government's inclusive-sport narrative ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
India has its gold. It has its record. Now the clock starts ticking toward Los Angeles.
Point of View
Not just individual brilliance — it suggests that the depth of domestic para-shooting talent has expanded well beyond a single marquee name. For the ruling BJP, senior leaders celebrating these moments publicly is a deliberate part of the inclusive-sport narrative built around Khelo India and TOPS, amplifying both athlete achievement and policy credit simultaneously. With the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics on the horizon, results like these will be used to benchmark the return on investment in para-sport infrastructure. The presence of a record score signals that Indian para shooters are no longer merely competing at the continental level — they are setting the terms.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mona Agarwal and what did she win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Mona Agarwal is an Indian para shooter who won the Gold medal in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the Asian Para Games 2026, setting an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0.
What is Avani Lekhara known for?
Avani Lekhara is India's celebrated para shooter who became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal, claiming the top spot in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
What is the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event?
It is a para shooting discipline contested at the Paralympics and Asian Para Games for athletes with physical impairments who compete standing; the SH1 classification covers athletes who can support the weight of their rifle independently.
What is Anurag Thakur's connection to Indian sports?
Anurag Thakur served as India's Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and oversaw programmes like Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme. He is currently a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.
How has India performed in para shooting in recent years?
India has recorded consistent medal gains in para shooting at the Paralympics and Asian Para Games since 2016, driven in part by increased central funding through the Khelo India programme and the expansion of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme to para disciplines in 2018.
