Avani Lekhara, an Indian rifle shooter, secured a gold medal in 10m air rifle standing at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 by defeating Chinese competitor Zhang Cuiping in the final event. |
Back in 2018, she took home a gold medal from the Asian Para Games. |
A car accident in 2012 resulted in complete paraplegia for Avani, but her father's encouragement led her to pursue sports, particularly shooting. |
Starting in 2015 at Jaipur's Jagatpura Sports Complex, Avani found inspiration in Abhinav Bindra, a former Olympic Champion. |
Since 2015, she has been successful in winning numerous medals in both national and international shooting competitions. |
She also won a silver medal in the Dubai Paralympic Championships in 2017. |
In 2017, Avani was recognized with the Rising Star award by Rajasthan's Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje. |
In 2019, the GoSports Foundation in India honored Avani as the Most Promising Paralympic Athlete. |
During the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she established a Paralympic and world record with 249.6 points in the final round. |
Avani made history in 2021 by becoming the first Indian woman Para shooter to claim a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics. |
On 23 October 2023, she triumphed in the women’s R2 10-metre Air Rifle Standing SH1 category at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, scoring 249.6 points. |