Indian para shooter Mona Agarwal clinched gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 (R2) event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan on 19 October 2026, setting a new Games record with a score of 250.0. The Jaipur-born shooter credited her composure under pressure, rigorous training, and unwavering faith for the historic win.

Compatriot Avani Lekhara secured silver with 249.6 points, while South Korea's Yunri Lee took bronze with 227.9. The Indian pair's one-two finish underscored India's growing dominance in para shooting at the continental level.

Process Over Pressure

Reflecting on how she pulled herself back from a difficult mid-competition phase, Mona described a deliberate mental approach rooted in repetition and calm. 'I just knew that I had to repeat my process. I would definitely give my best and come back to the top. At that time, I did not think about what to do and how to do it. I kept repeating my process, stayed relaxed, and trusted myself and my process. I remembered God, loaded the shot and fired,' she said after winning gold.

When asked about her focus and faith during the final, she added with a smile, 'God is sitting next to me.'

Turning Setbacks Into Strategy

Mona traced her ability to recover mid-competition to consistent practice under adversity. 'If you see my previous match records, it always happens that I go down and then slowly come back up. I think I have done the same in my practice. When things get worse, I try to control them and stabilise my performance again. I don't quit there. I don't quit in practice sessions either. I try to control it again and cover it up. I think the same strategy that I follow in training has helped me here,' she explained.

The gold also carried the weight of a hard lesson from a previous Asian Games campaign, where she was eliminated in sixth place. 'When you lose or get eliminated, it is a little heartbreaking. But I feel that what I learned from there has helped me today. I always add what I have learned from my failures to my experience and prepare myself for the future,' she said.

Eyes on the Next Event

Despite the celebratory moment, Mona said she was deferring her celebrations until after her second event, the 50m three-position competition. 'I have already received a lot of phone calls. Everyone is waiting, but I don't want to think about it right now. I have another 50m three-position match. I think I should take a day's break and return to my training. I will have unofficial training here, and I can think about the celebration after my next match,' she said.

Asked whether she hoped to receive a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mona replied in the affirmative.

A Medal for Family and a Message for Vegetarian Athletes

Mona, who hails from Jaipur, dedicated her gold to her mother-in-law, who cared for her young children during her absence. 'I want to dedicate this medal to my mother-in-law. She took care of my children in my absence. Because of her, I was able to focus on my performance. I didn't have to worry about how to take care of such young children,' she said.

The shooter also used the occasion to challenge assumptions about vegetarian athletes. 'People think that vegetarians cannot move forward in sports. I came here to break this thought. I am purely vegetarian,' she said, noting that the Indian contingent managed their dietary needs in Japan with rice, available food, and Indian spices and chutney brought from home. Her gold is both a sporting milestone and a statement of identity.