Two Indian para shooters stood on the podium together — and an entire nation stood with them. On Monday, 19 October 2026, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara after they claimed gold and silver respectively in the 10-metre Air Rifle Standing SH1 final at the Asian Para Games 2026.

Dhami wrote in Hindi: 'एशियन पैरा गेम्स 2026 की 10 मीटर एयर राइफल स्टैंडिंग एसएच1 फाइनल स्पर्धा में शानदार प्रदर्शन करते हुए स्वर्ण पदक जीतने पर मोना अग्रवाल जी और रजत पदक जीतने पर अवनि लेखरा जी को हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।' — 'Heartfelt congratulations to Mona Agarwal for winning gold and to Avani Lekhara for winning silver with a splendid performance in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final at the Asian Para Games 2026.' He added that the achievement 'fills the entire country with pride' and serves as 'a source of inspiration for every athlete in India,' and that their success proves 'no challenge is too great before firm resolve.'

Mona Agarwal's Gold and Avani Lekhara's Silver in the SH1 Rifle Event

Mona Agarwal topped the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 podium, completing a remarkable rise in international para shooting. Avani Lekhara, already India's most celebrated para shooter, claimed silver — a result that underscores just how deep Indian talent has become in this discipline.

Lekhara first announced herself to the world at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where she won gold in the same SH1 category, becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. Her presence on the Asian Para Games podium — this time as runner-up to a fellow Indian — signals that India is no longer fielding a single standout; it is fielding a generation.

India's Para Shooting Surge Since Tokyo 2020

India's strength in para shooting did not arrive by accident. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the Khelo India programme — both expanded after the 2016 Rio Paralympics — have systematically funded training, equipment, and international exposure for para athletes. The pipeline those investments built is now delivering continental medals with striking consistency.

The Asian Para Games, held every four years for Asian athletes with disabilities, is both a marquee title in its own right and a critical staging ground for Paralympic preparation. A gold-silver sweep by two Indians in a single shooting final is a statement of collective depth, not individual luck.

State governments, including Uttarakhand's, have made a habit of amplifying para-sport victories through public statements — a form of political recognition that also keeps disability sports visible in mainstream conversation. Dhami's post follows that pattern, but the achievement it celebrates is entirely the athletes' own.

With India's contingent still competing across remaining events at the 2026 Games, the shooting range may not have fired its last headline yet.