India’s Avani Lekhara on Monday scripted history by becoming the only woman in the Olympics and Paralympics to win Gold for India.
Ace shooter Avani Lekhara grabbed the first-ever gold for India in para shooting in women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 at the Tokyo Games on Monday.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other top leaders congratulated Avani Lekhara on winning Gold.
“Congratulations to Avani Lekhara for creating history and becoming the first Indian woman to win Gold at Paralympics. India is elated by your stellar performance! Our tricolor flies high at the podium due to your phenomenal feat,” said President Ram Nath Kovind.
PM Narendra Modi also heaped praise on Avani, ‘Hard-earned and well-deserved Gold, made possible due to your industrious nature and passion towards shooting’. PM Modi further extended best wishes for her future endeavours.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur too congratulated Avani for clinching a gold medal.
“A historic achievement as she becomes the only woman in Olympics & Paralympics to win a gold,” Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said.
The 19-year-old clinched the gold in the finals with a total of 249.6 points, equalling the world record made by Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik earlier set in 2018.
China’s Cuiping Zhang won a silver medal with 248.9 points whereas Iryna Shchetnik of Ukraine bagged the bronze with 227.5 points.
Lekhara kickstarted the finals at a good pace as she finished second by the end of the 1st competition stage after Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova.
After the 12th shot, Lekahara scored 124.9 points, and by the end of the 24th shot, the tally went to 249.6 points that assured her a medal.
Earlier she sailed into the finals of the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 finishing 7th in the qualification round with a total score of 621.7.
Fourth Indian Athlete to win Gold at Paralympics:
Avani Lekhara became the fourth Indian Athlete and the first women Paralympic athlete to win gold in a Paralympics event so far.
The streak for Gold in the Paralympics was started by Murlikant Petkar who won the gold medal in Swimming, a men’s 50m freestyle 3 event at the 1972 Heidelberg Games. Next in line, the Indian javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F44/46 event in Athens 2004.
The 2016 Rio Paralympics gave India its two gold medals. Devendra Jhajharia bagged his second gold medal at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in javelin throw, and Tamil Nadu’s Mariyappan Thangavelu won a gold medal in the men’s high jump F42 event.
Tokyo Paralympics 2020, Day 6 Medal Highlights:
– Yogesh Kathuniya won a silver medal in Men’s Discus Throw Para Athletics Event
-Sundar Singh Gurjar won a bronze medal in Men’s Javelin Throw F46 Final with a season-best throw of 64.01m
–Devendra Jhajharia bagged a silver medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw F46 Final with a personal best throw of 64.35m
India had so far won 15 medals at the Paralympic Games, but with today’s four medals the tally went up to 19 for India.
PBNS
