Avani Lekhara (born 8 November 2001 in Jaipur) is an Indian Paralympian and rifle shooter from Rajasthan.[1] She won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing and a bronze medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. As of January 2023[update], Lekhara is ranked world no. 1 in Women's 10m Air Rifle standing SH1 (World Shooting Para Sport Rankings)[2] and has competed in the 2018 Asian Para Games.[3][4][5][6] She is currently supported by OGQ. She is also the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in a single Paralympic Games.[7] She has been given out of turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) by the Government of Rajasthan.[8]
Career
Lekhara is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.[9][10][11] Lekhara also won India's first gold medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, the young shooter set a Paralympic record and tied the world record.[12] She began shooting in 2015, inspired by former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and has since won several national and international titles.[13] On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women's 50m air rifle standing event.[14][15]
Avani has appeared in the Kalki presents 'My Indian Life' for young Indian adults in the twenty-first century examined by Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin. True stories from India, sometimes brutal, sometimes inspiring. The BBC World Service broadcasts the programme.[19]
^Kartik, RJ (7 October 2021). "Avani Lekhara Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)