On the second day of the competition, India further won a silver medal through Manish Narwal in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final and two bronze medals, one claimed by Mona Agarwal in the same event as Avani, the other by Preethi. in the women’s 100m event (T35).
Avani’s journey towards gold started with her participation in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) category. He scored 249.7, breaking the previous Paralympic record of 249.6, which was set in Summer 2021. Paralympics in Japan.
The competition was fierce, with Avani edging out Korea’s Lee Yunri, who shot 246.8 for silver.
Mona, also from India and competing in the SH1 category due to a polio-related leg disability, scored 228.7 to claim bronze, the first double podium for India in the same event at the Olympics.
Avani’s victory made her the first Indian to win two consecutive Paralympic gold medals. The feat comes after he faced several health challenges, including gall bladder surgery in March, which forced him to take a one-and-a-half month break. Despite losing weight due to surgery, he diligently trained at the Karni Singh shooting range to regain strength and mental strength for the Paris Olympics.
“It was a very close final. There was a very small gap between 1, 2 and 3. I focused on my thought process and not the result,” said Avani after the historic win.
“I am happy that the Indian national anthem is the first national anthem to be played in this arena. .
Avani’s journey to becoming a top shooter started at the age of 11 when she was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. Competing in the SH1 category, which includes athletes with disabilities in the arms, lower trunk, or legs, as well as those without limbs, Avani displayed remarkable composure in the final.
She trailed Lee Yunri by a decimal point, but Lee’s poor final shot of 6.8 gave the victory to Avani, who scored 10.5.
Manish added to India’s medal haul with a silver in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) final.
Preethi, who competed in the women’s 100m (T35) category, bagged a bronze medal with a personal best performance.
The feat put India in 10th place in the overall standings, ahead of Japan and Korea.
Mona, who won bronze in the same event as Avani, is a 37-year-old athlete from Sikar, Rajasthan. He has faced social prejudice due to his lower leg disability caused by polio in his childhood.
Before finding her niche in shooting, Mona dabbled in various sports including shot-put, powerlifting, and wheelchair volleyball. His journey to the Paralympic podium was a testament to his resilience and determination.
With outstanding performances from Avani, Mona, Manish, and Preethi, India achieved significant success in Paris. Avani’s determination and training paid off despite the challenges she faced before the Olympics.
Manish misses the gold
Manish, the Tokyo Games gold medalist shooter, bagged the silver medal after shooting 234.9 in the last competition.
The 22-year-old, who won the 50m pistol gold in Tokyo three years ago, climbed from fifth place to the top in Paris, showing a determined effort to repeat the previous victory.
However, a couple of poor shots on the ‘9s’ saw him drop to second place just as gold was in sight.
Manish was born with a defect in his right hand.
First medal on the track
Preethi won India’s first athletics medal in a Paralympic track event, taking bronze in the women’s 100m T35 event with a personal best time of 14.21 seconds.
Classification T35 for athletes with coordination disorders such as hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
Preethi comes from a farming family in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
He faced significant physical challenges from birth, with his lower body plastered within six days of birth. Their weak legs and irregular leg posture make them susceptible to various diseases.
To strengthen his legs, he underwent various traditional treatments. From the age of five, he wore calipers for eight years.
Strong performance in badminton, archery
Nitesh Kumar produced an outstanding performance, defeating China’s Yang Jianyuan in straight games — 21-5, 21-11 — in the second SL3 group A men’s singles match to secure a place in the semifinals of the para badminton competition.
Meanwhile, experienced archer Rakesh Kumar kicked off his campaign with a 136-131 win over Senegal’s Aliou Drame, moving into the pre-quarterfinals of the compound men’s open category.
IIT Mandi graduate Nitesh Kumar, 29, who suffered permanent leg damage in an accident in 2009, showed incredible skill and dominance in his match against Yang.
Class SL3 is designated for players with lower extremity disabilities, who need to play on a half-width field.
