Puri Hails India's Double Podium at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
India opened the Asian Para Games 2026 with a gold-silver sweep in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 — Mona Agarwal taking gold, Avani Lekhara silver. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri hailed the 'magnificent double podium' on X, reflecting broad governmental support for para sports.
Key Takeaways
Mona Agarwal won Gold and Avani Lekhara won Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the Asian Para Games 2026 , giving India a 1-2 finish.
Avani Lekhara is a former Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallist in the same event, making her silver here a marker of the rising depth in Indian para shooting.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri publicly congratulated both athletes on 19 October 2026 , tagging the Paralympic Committee of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
India's para sports infrastructure has grown significantly since the Khelo India scheme launched in 2017 and the country's breakthrough at the 2016 Rio Paralympics .
The double podium on the opening day sets a strong tone for India's overall campaign at the Games.
India's para shooters opened the Asian Para Games 2026 with a commanding one-two finish — and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was among the first to mark the moment, calling it 'a magnificent double podium start to India's campaign.'
Gold for Mona, Silver for Avani in the 10m Air Rifle
Mona Agarwal claimed the Gold medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, with Avani Lekhara finishing just behind her on the podium to take Silver. The result means India's two most prominent names in para shooting finished first and second in the same event — a sweep that signals the depth of the country's pipeline in the discipline.
Lekhara is no stranger to this stage. She famously won Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in the same 10m air rifle standing SH1 category, becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold. Her silver here, behind a surging Mona Agarwal, underlines how competitive the Indian bench has become.
The Infrastructure Behind the Result
Results like this do not emerge from nowhere. India's expanded investment in para sports — anchored by the Khelo India scheme launched in 2017 — has steadily widened access to training, equipment, and competitive exposure for para athletes. The Paralympic Committee of India has been central to channelling that support into structured international participation, building on the breakthrough performances India recorded at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Ministers across portfolios have increasingly used social media to amplify para sports victories — a deliberate signal of governmental priority that was less visible before India's 2016 Rio Paralympics renaissance. Puri's post fits that broader pattern, with tags to the Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports reinforcing the institutional backing.
What the Double Podium Means for India's Campaign
Opening a multi-sport Games with gold and silver in the same event sets a tone. It puts points on the board early, boosts team morale, and places India immediately in contention at the top of the para shooting standings. With multiple medal events still to follow, the pressure — and the expectation — on the Indian contingent just rose considerably.
For Mona Agarwal in particular, a gold at the Asian Para Games is a statement of arrival at the highest level of the sport.
India's para shooting story is no longer just about a single champion. It is becoming a tradition.
Point of View
From Khelo India funding to dedicated Paralympic pathways. The fact that a senior minister from a non-sports portfolio like petroleum amplified the achievement underscores how broadly the government has sought ownership of India's para sports narrative since the Rio breakthrough. Mona Agarwal displacing the iconic Avani Lekhara to the silver position is the clearest sign yet that Indian para shooting has genuine bench strength, not just a single star. That competitive internal pressure is precisely what produces consistent international podiums.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold in Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Mona Agarwal won the gold medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
What did Avani Lekhara win at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Avani Lekhara won the Silver medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
Has Avani Lekhara won a gold medal before in this event?
Yes. Avani Lekhara won Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics , becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.
What is the Khelo India scheme and how does it support para athletes?
Khelo India is a government initiative launched in 2017 to identify and support sports talent across India, including para athletes, by providing structured training access, funding, and competitive exposure.
Why did Hardeep Singh Puri comment on a para sports event?
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted his congratulations as part of a broader pattern among Indian ministers of publicly celebrating para sports achievements to signal national governmental support for disability sports.
