Tokyo Paralympics 2020: All you need to know about twin-medallist shooter Avani Lekhara

Not long ago,  Avani Lekhara had become the first woman from India to win a gold medal at Paralympics. She entered the record books after finishing first in the R-2 women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event in Tokyo. The 19-year-old shooter from Jaipur, Rajasthan had also finished with a world record equalling total of 249.6. It is also a new Paralympic record. On Friday (3 September), she added one more medal in her bag, a bronze in 50m Rifle 3 Position SH1 event. Avani, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, started shooting after reading Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography A shot at history. After father encouraged her to take up sport, she tried her hand in different sports including archery but the inclination towards shooting happened thanks to Bindra’s book whom she considers her idol.

India's 🇮🇳 Avani Lakhera receives the gold medal before the Indian national anthem echoes in the shooting range#Paralympics

Video courtesy: @EurosportIN

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She first began shooting in Jagatpura Sports Complex in Jaipur in 2015. And her first international event came two years later in 2017 at the Para Shooting World Cup in Al Ain in UAE where she won a silver medal. She clinched another silver at the Para Shooting World Cup in Osijek in Croatia in 2019. Earlier this year in March, she grabbed the gold at the first National Para-shooting championships in the women’s R2 10m air rifle women’s SH1. Apart from R2 10m air rifle women’s SH1, Avani will be taking part in three more events which are: Women’s R8 - 50m rifle 3 positions SH1, Mixed R3 - 10m air rifle prone SH1 and Mixed R6 - 50m rifle prone SH1 Apart from shooting, Avani likes listening to music, watching films, cooking, baking and spending time with her family.