A world record and two gold medals — Rajasthan's para shooter Mona Agarwal delivered a landmark performance at the Asian Para Games 2026, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma wasted no time in celebrating the feat on Friday, 23 October 2026.

Sharma congratulated Agarwal on winning gold in the Women's 50 Metre Rifle 3 Positions SH1 event — setting a world record in the process — and on claiming a total of two gold medals in the competition. In his post, the Chief Minister wrote: 'Hardik badhai evam shubhkamnayein' (heartfelt congratulations and best wishes), calling her 'unwavering courage, unbreakable resolve, and tireless hard work a source of inspiration for every athlete.'

Mona Agarwal: Rajasthan's SH1 rifle specialist

Mona Agarwal competes in the SH1 category — designed for para athletes who have full use of their arms but impaired leg or shooting-stance function — and has built a steady international profile over recent years, including appearances at the Paralympic Games. Her performance at the Asian Para Games 2026 represents a new peak, with a world record underlining not just regional but global dominance in the discipline.

The 50 m Rifle 3 Positions event is among the most technically demanding in para shooting, requiring the athlete to fire from prone, standing, and kneeling positions — making a world record there a particularly emphatic statement.

Why state governments spotlight para-sport wins

Chief Minister Sharma's public congratulation is part of a deliberate pattern across Indian state governments: using high-profile para-sport achievements to project both state pride and a broader commitment to inclusive sports culture. Since the 2010s, India's para-sport ecosystem has grown significantly, with athletes from smaller cities and states — including Rajasthan — emerging as genuine world-beaters.

For Rajasthan, Agarwal's double gold carries extra weight. The state has invested in sports infrastructure and scholarship programmes for athletes, and a world-record performance at a continental games is precisely the kind of achievement that gives those programmes political and cultural currency.

Sharma closed his message with a rallying wish: that Agarwal 'continue setting new milestones of success and keep raising the pride of the Tricolour' — a line that frames her achievement not just as a sporting result but as national service.

With the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics on the horizon, Mona Agarwal's world record puts her firmly in the conversation for India's most compelling medal hopes in para shooting.