CM Fadnavis Hails India's Double Podium at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Mona Agarwal won Gold with a Games Record and Avani Lekhara claimed Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, giving India a historic double podium. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated both athletes on X.
Key Takeaways
Mona Agarwal won Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 , setting a Games Record in the process.
Avani Lekhara claimed Silver in the same event, giving India a rare 1-2 finish in a single para shooting final.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated both athletes on X on October 19, 2026 .
Avani Lekhara is a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallist in the same discipline, making her silver here a marker of the squad's rising depth.
India has built consistent medal-winning capacity in para shooting since the early 2010s through expanded training and government support for para athletes.
India's para shooters delivered a stunning one-two finish on Monday, October 19, 2026, as Mona Agarwal clinched Gold with a Games Record and Avani Lekhara secured Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 — and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was among the first to amplify the moment for the nation.
Fadnavis posted on X: 'Double Podium for India at Asian Para Games 2026!' — extending 'heartiest congratulations' to both athletes and calling it 'a remarkable achievement that makes the nation proud.' The post, carrying the tricolour and the twin medals, quickly drew attention to a result that placed two Indian women atop the same shooting final on the same day.
Mona Agarwal's Gold and a Games Record
Mona Agarwal has been a consistent presence in India's SH1 women's shooting squad, and her performance in this final was emphatic enough to rewrite the Games Record. Setting a new benchmark at an Asian Para Games — where competition standards have risen sharply as more nations build dedicated para-shooting programmes — signals a peak in form that goes well beyond a podium finish.
Avani Lekhara's Silver — Still Writing History
Avani Lekhara is the name Indian sporting fans associate most closely with para shooting's rise. The Jaipur-based shooter famously won Gold in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal. Her Silver here, finishing just behind Agarwal, is less a step down and more a testament to the depth India has quietly built in this discipline — when the country's most decorated para shooter finishes second to her own teammate, the programme as a whole has arrived.
India's Para Shooting Rise — A Decade in the Making
India's consistency in para shooting at Asian and global level is not accidental. Since the early 2010s, sports bodies and government support frameworks have steadily expanded training infrastructure for para athletes, giving shooters in the SH1 category access to coaching and competitive exposure that was simply unavailable a generation ago. The SH1 classification — for athletes who can support the rifle themselves but have impairment in the lower limbs — has been a particular strength for India.
A double podium in a single shooting final, with one athlete breaking the Games Record, is exactly the kind of result that feeds the next Paralympic cycle. With the programme now producing podium finishes back-to-back across major events, the question for India's para shooting contingent shifts from 'can we medal?' to 'how many?'
Point of View
Not just an individual one. It reflects a decade of deliberate infrastructure investment in para sport that is now compounding into results. For state leaders like Fadnavis, amplifying such wins serves a dual purpose: acknowledging genuine athletic excellence while also signalling political support for para athlete welfare. The deeper story, however, is Avani Lekhara finishing second to a teammate — that internal competition is precisely what drives Olympic-cycle improvement.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold in Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 at Asian Para Games 2026?
Mona Agarwal won the Gold medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, setting a Games Record in the process.
What did Avani Lekhara win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Avani Lekhara won the Silver medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, finishing behind her Indian teammate Mona Agarwal.
What is the SH1 category in para shooting?
SH1 is a para shooting classification for athletes who have impairment in the lower limbs or a similar physical disability but are able to support the rifle themselves without the need for a shooting stand.
Has Avani Lekhara won at the Paralympics before?
Yes. Avani Lekhara won Gold in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics , becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.
What is the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities from across Asia, held every four years under the Asian Paralympic Committee, parallel in structure to the Asian Games.
