NEW DELHI : Mona Agarwal broke the Asian Para Games record on Monday (October 19) to win a gold medal for India in the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
The 38-year-old from Sikar, Rajasthan, finished ahead of defending champion Avani Lekhara on Monday to win the biggest medal of her playing career. In the final of the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event, Mona, who won bronze at the 2024 Paralympic Games, finished with a score of 250.0.
Two-time Paralympic Games gold medallist Avani finished second and bagged the silver medal with a final score of 249.6.
The 24-year-old from Rajasthan is a two-time Paralympic Games gold medallist in the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event, and she also won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle event at the previous edition of the Asian Para Games.
Avani was leading at the end of Series 5 in Stage 2, but in the last two series, Mona made a superb comeback to take the No. 1 position.
The contest went down to the wire and Mona led Avani by a mere 0.1 point – 239.2 to 239.1 – before the final shots.
Yunri Lee of South Korea won the bronze medal in the event with a final score of 227.9.
The previous Asian Para Games record in the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event was held by Lekhara. In the 2022 edition of the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, Avani won the gold medal with a final score of 249.6. She matched that score in this year’s edition as well, but it was not enough to secure the top finish.
The Asian record in the women’s 10m air rifle SH1 event is held by Mona. On April 24, 2024, in Changwon, South Korea, she registered a score of 250.8.
Meanwhile, the world record is held by Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik. The 26-year-old registered a score of 252.0 in Rotterdam on August 23, 2018.
SH1 classification is for shooters with lower limb impairments.
