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Avani Lekhara

Avani Lekhara
Lekhara in 2022
Personal information
Born (2001-11-08) 8 November 2001 (age 23)
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Sport
Country India
SportShooting
EventAir rifle SH1
Coached byChandra Shekhar
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals
Highest world ranking1 [1]
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's shooting
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 10m air rifle SH1
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 10m air rifle SH1
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 50m rifle 3 positions SH1
Para World Cup[2]
Gold medal – first place 2022 France 10m air rifle SH1
Gold medal – first place 2022 France 50m rifle 3 positions SH1
Silver medal – second place 2022 South Korea 10m air rifle SH1
Asian Para Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou 10 m air rifle

Avani Lekhara (born 8 November 2001) is an Indian rifle shooter.[3] She is a double gold medalist at the Paralympics having won the 10m rifle event the 2020 Paralympics as well as the 2024 Paralympics. She made history by winning two back-to-back golds. She also won the bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event at the 2020 Games, thus being the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at a single Paralympic Games.[4] Lekhara is a two-time gold and one-time silver medalist at the Para World Cup.[5]

Early life and education

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A car accident in 2012, at the age of 11, left her with complete paraplegia. Her father encouraged her to join sports, training in archery but moving to shooting in which she found her true passion. She currently studies law in Rajasthan University, India.[6][7] She was student of Kendriya Vidyalaya 3 (Jaipur), where she received her first gold medal in regional match of shooting.[8]

She won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing and a bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[9] Lekhara is ranked the World No. 1 in Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 as per World Shooting Para Sport Rankings.[10] She has been given out of turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forest by the Government of Rajasthan.[11]

Career

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Lekhara began shooting in 2015, inspired by former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and has since won several national and international titles.[12]

She is coached by Chandra Shekhar.

Paralympic career

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She is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.[13][14][15] Lekhara won India's first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, she set a Paralympic record and tied the world record.[16]

On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women's 50m air rifle standing event.[17][18]

In Paralympics 2024 at Paris, she won a gold in women's 10m air rifle standing SH1. She became the first Indian women athlete to win three paralympic medals.[19]

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Avani has appeared in the Kalki presents 'My Indian Life' for young Indian adults in the twenty-first century examined by Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin. True stories from India, sometimes brutal, sometimes inspiring. The BBC World Service broadcasts the program.[20]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "World Shooting Para Sport Rankings / Official World Rankings 2023". World Shooting Para Sport. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  2. ^ Shalya, Mandakini. "Para World Cup: Teenage shooter Avani Lekhara wins 10m air rifle silver". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Indians win four gold to begin Para Asian Games campaign in style". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win multiple medals at Paralympics". ESPN. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Chateauroux 2022 World Cup: Avani Lekhara clinches second gold". The Hindu. 12 June 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Avani Lekhara: Golden girl from Pink City". The Indian Express. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Tokyo Paralympic 2020: Avani Lekhara wins historic gold for India in shooting". BBC News. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  8. ^ Kartik, RJ (7 October 2021). "Avani Lekhara Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "Avani Lekhara wins women's 10m air rifle silver medal at World Shooting Para Sport World Cup". Firstpost. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Para shooter Avani Lekhara clinches silver; India stay in top three". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  11. ^ "News Detail". dipr.rajasthan.gov.in. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  12. ^ Mukherjee, Deep (30 August 2021). "India's first woman Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara inspired by Abhinav Bindra's autobiography". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Truly special moment: India celebrates Avani Lekhara, the golden girl at Tokyo Paralympics". India Today. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Shooter Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win gold at Paralympics". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  15. ^ Haq, Sana Noor. "Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win Paralympic gold". CNN. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Shooting athlete Avani Lekhara enters history books with gold". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  17. ^ Peter, Naveen (3 September 2021). "Shooter Avani Lekhara scripts history, becomes first Indian woman to win two Paralympics medals". Olympics.com. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win 2 Paralympic medals". The Times of India. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Avani Lekhara - Shooting | Paralympic Athlete Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Kalki Presents: My Indian Life, Bullseye". BBC News. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  21. ^ "National Sports Awards 2021: Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna". News18. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  22. ^ Sharma, Nitin (26 January 2022). "Para champions, Neeraj Chopra, hockey star Vandana Katariya among Padma awardees". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
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