Mandaviya hails India's double podium at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Mona Agarwal set an Asian Para Games Record of 250.0 to win gold while Avani Lekhara took silver in Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at Asian Para Games 2026, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hailing the double podium as 'a golden start for India.'
Key Takeaways
Mona Agarwal won gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at Asian Para Games 2026 with an Asian Para Games Record score of 250.0 .
Avani Lekhara claimed silver in the same event, completing an Indian one-two finish.
Lekhara had previously won gold in this discipline at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics .
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated both athletes on X on October 19, 2026 .
The result continues India's broader pattern of para sports success in precision shooting following strong Olympic and Paralympic campaigns.
India opened its shooting campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a spectacular one-two finish — Mona Agarwal seizing gold and Avani Lekhara claiming silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event on Monday, October 19. Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was quick to celebrate the double podium, calling it 'a golden start for India.'
Mona Agarwal's Asian Para Games record shot
Mona Agarwal did not just win — she rewrote the benchmark, posting a score of 250.0 to set a new Asian Para Games Record in the SH1 category. That number alone signals a performance well above what the competition had previously demanded. It is the kind of score that puts rivals on notice for every remaining shooting event in the Games.
Avani Lekhara adds silver to India's haul
Avani Lekhara, who announced herself to the world by winning gold in this very discipline at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, stepped onto the podium again — this time in silver. That she finished behind a record-breaking compatriot says as much about India's depth in para shooting as it does about Lekhara's enduring class. A one-two for the same country in an individual precision event is rare at any level of international competition.
From Tokyo to a broader para sports push
India's sustained rise in para sports did not happen overnight. The country's record-breaking performance at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics — where the shooting contingent played a central role — prompted a measurable shift in government focus: more structured support, greater visibility, and louder official recognition for para athletes. Minister Mandaviya's post, hashtagged #Cheer4Bharat, fits squarely into that pattern of using early Games results to build national momentum. The intent is deliberate — medals at the start of a tournament set a psychological tempo for the rest of the contingent.
India's watchers will now track whether the shooting team can extend this early haul and whether the government follows the customary congratulatory cycle with any concrete announcements on para sports funding.
Two athletes, two medals, one Asian record — and the Asian Para Games 2026 has barely begun for India.
Point of View
Not just individual brilliance — two athletes from the same country finishing first and second in a precision discipline is statistically uncommon. The result also reinforces the post-Tokyo policy narrative: that government-backed para athlete programmes are producing compounding returns. For Minister Mandaviya, whose portfolio links sports and labour, visible early-Games wins serve a dual purpose — they sustain public enthusiasm and implicitly justify continued funding cycles. The larger question is whether this shooting momentum translates into a record overall para Games medal tally for India.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mona Agarwal and what did she win at Asian Para Games 2026?
Mona Agarwal is an Indian para shooter who won the gold medal in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 , setting a new Asian Para Games Record with a score of 250.0 .
What medal did Avani Lekhara win at 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 , finishing behind compatriot Mona Agarwal.
Has Avani Lekhara won in 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 before?
Yes. Avani Lekhara famously won the gold medal in the same discipline — 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 — at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics , making her one of India's most decorated para shooters.
What is the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event for para athletes across Asia, held in conjunction with the Asian Games cycle and organised under the Asian Paralympic Committee.
What did Mansukh Mandaviya say about India's double podium at Asian Para Games 2026?
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated both athletes on X , calling the result 'a golden start for India at the Asian Para Games 2026' and describing the achievement as 'Double Podium, Double Pride.'
