Chateauroux is turning out to be a happy hunting ground for India. Situated 275km away from Paris, this shooting venue saw India win three medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics with Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale shining. At the ongoing Paralympics, Avani Lekhara ensured India won its first gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle SH1 category. Adding more thrust to the Indian campaign in the same event was Mona Agarwal winning bronze. Last but not least, Manish Narwal clinching silver in the 10m Air Pistol SH1 on Friday was also an important medal for India.
The toast, indeed, was Lekhara, as the bespectacled Indian handled pressure brilliantly. Shooting is a sport where the athlete is competing against himself or herself. One does not need to look at cumulative scores of other shooters in fray. As Avani is hailed for winning gold medals in back-to-back Paralympics, her feat is monumental. What makes it even more special is she has been able to continue with the same intensity in her training.
When Avani won gold in the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, she was unknown. Today, the smiling 22-year-old from Jaipur is well known. The life of a Para athlete is not easy, yet none of them wants any kind of sympathy. There are any number of success stories from the Paralympics in Paris and Chateauroux already, as far as India are concerned. Lekhara uses two bases for training, in Jaipur and the Karni Singh Ranges in New Delhi, to hone her skills. Not many would have bothered to check what the SH1 class is. It pertains to lower-limb impairment. Today, everyone knows about Lekhara, but the story of how she got into rifle shooting is interesting.
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Following a car accident 12 years ago, she was distraught. Full credit to her family, for they supported her to the hilt and ensured she took up shooting. There are many shooters in India who have been inspired by Abhinav Bindra, the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist. For Lekhara too, Bindra is her role model. What’s unique is that while Bindra attempted winning a second Olympic medal and lost narrowly out in Rio in 2016, where he finished fourth, Lekhara has continued to chase her passion. On Friday, just after winning a gold medal, she was her humble self when asked if she would want to interact with the President of India.
Even more interesting was that she said “two more events to go.” It is a clear sign she is not content with just one historic medal at this Paralympics. There may be a temptation to compare this hunger with Manu Bhaker, who won two medals in Paris 2024, in the individual and mixed air pistol, before finishing fourth in sports pistol. Lekhara smiles and fans think she is relaxed. But each shooter, whether it is the Olympics or the Paralympics, slogs hard and wants to get onto the podium. Lekhara is a rare gem and she has now done what other Indian Para superstars like Devendra Jhajharia and Mariyappan Thangavelu achieved in the past in the form of multiple medals.
For the record, Lekhara too won two medals at Tokyo 2021. She thanked Mona Agarwal for giving her company on the podium, and this kind of respect is both important and healthy. A word too on Suma Shirur, the rifle coach who was with Lekhara in Tokyo and is now in Chateauroux. Shirur’s role is to ensure that Lekhara is sharp in her technique and can optimise her performances. Do not be surprised if she goes on to win two more medals, for she craves that sort of success.
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