CM Mohan Yadav hails Mona Agarwal, Avani Lekhara at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Mona Agarwal won Gold with an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0 and Avani Lekhara secured Silver in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the Asian Para Games 2026. Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav celebrated the historic Indian double on 19 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
Mona Agarwal won Gold in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an Asian Para Games Record score of 250.0 .
Avani Lekhara secured Silver in the same event, giving India a stunning 1-2 finish in para shooting.
Lekhara previously became the first Indian woman to win Paralympic Gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in this discipline.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr.
Mohan Yadav issued congratulations on 19 October 2026 , reflecting the growing political recognition of para sports in India.
India's para shooting success reflects sustained government investment in disability sport infrastructure and support schemes since the 2010s.
Two Indian women, one rifle, and a rewritten record book — Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav joined the nation in celebrating a landmark double for India at the Asian Para Games 2026, as Mona Agarwal clinched Gold with an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0 and Avani Lekhara secured Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.
A record-breaking gold and a champion's silver
Mona Agarwal's score of 250.0 did not just top the podium — it set a new Asian Para Games Record in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 category. That is the kind of performance that redraws the benchmarks every competitor will now have to chase. Right behind her stood Avani Lekhara, whose Silver added a second medal to India's haul in the same event, underlining the extraordinary depth India has built in para shooting.
Avani Lekhara — already a legend, still climbing
Avani Lekhara first announced herself to the world at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic Gold medal — in this very discipline. Her Silver at the 2026 Asian Para Games is not a step down; it is proof that she continues to compete at the elite end of a field that has grown fiercely competitive around her. The Jaipur-born shooter has become the face of India's para sports revolution, and her presence on any podium carries the weight of that history.
Para shooting's rise in India's sporting identity
India's investment in para sports has been building steadily since the 2010s, with government support schemes gradually expanding to cover training infrastructure, stipends, and international exposure for athletes with disabilities. The podium at the Asian Para Games 2026 is partly a dividend of that quiet, sustained effort. When two Indian athletes occupy the top two positions in the same event, it is no longer a story about individual brilliance alone — it is a structural statement about what the system is capable of producing.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav's congratulatory message captured that collective pride: 'Your remarkable performances have brought immense pride to the nation.' Political leaders across India have made a point of publicly recognising para athletes, a shift that itself signals how far the country's relationship with disability sport has moved from the margins to the mainstream.
Point of View
While Mona Agarwal's record score signals that Indian para shooting itself has taken another leap. For BJP leaders like CM Yadav, publicly championing para athletes serves a dual purpose: it aligns with the ruling party's broader narrative of an aspirational, globally competitive India, and it keeps disability sport in the political spotlight where funding decisions get made. The bigger policy question now is whether this podium translates into enhanced state and central support that can sustain — and surpass — what India achieved today.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mona Agarwal?
Mona Agarwal is an Indian para shooter who won Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, setting an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0.
What is Avani Lekhara famous for?
Avani Lekhara is a celebrated Indian para shooter who became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic Gold medal, achieving that feat in the 10m Air Rifle Standing event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She won Silver at the Asian Para Games 2026.
What is the SH1 category in para shooting?
SH1 is a para shooting classification for athletes who have full use of their arms but have an impairment affecting their legs or standing balance, allowing them to compete in events like the 10m Air Rifle Standing without a shooting stand support.
What did India win at the Asian Para Games 2026 in shooting?
India achieved a Gold and Silver double in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, with Mona Agarwal winning Gold (with an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0) and Avani Lekhara winning Silver.
Why did CM Mohan Yadav congratulate Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara?
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav congratulated both athletes on 19 October 2026 after their podium finishes at the Asian Para Games 2026, calling their performances a source of 'immense pride to the nation.'
