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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian para shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara on their medal wins as they secured a double-podium finish in the womens 10m air rifle final at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday, with Mona clinching gold and Avani taking silver. The duos performance earned India its first medals of the competition.
Agarwal also set a new Asian Para Games record with her gold-medal-winning score of 250 after the seventh series, surpassing the previous record of 249.6 set by Lekhara at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Meanwhile, Lekhara secured the silver medal in the womens 10m air rifle final at the 2026 Asian Para Games with a score of 249.6 after the seventh series. In an X post by the Prime Ministers Office, PM Modi congratulated Mona Agarwal on winning gold and setting a new Asian Para Games record, praising her precision, determination and composure while wishing her success in the upcoming competitions. Congratulations to Mona Agarwal on winning Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026! Thanks to her outstanding score, she has also set a new Asian Para Games Record! It is a remarkable achievement that makes India's opening day even more special. Her precision, determination and composure are truly commendable. Wishing her continued success in the competitions ahead: PM @narendramodi, reads the X post by the PMO. PM Modi also congratulated Avani Lekhara on winning the silver medal, praising her consistency and determination and wishing her success in future competitions. A splendid Silver for @AvaniLekhara! Congratulations to her on winning Silver in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an impressive score. Her consistency and determination continue to make the nation proud. Best wishes for her future endeavours: PM @narendramodi, he said. While the womens 10m air rifle final saw India secure a 1-2 finish, the mens 10m air rifle standing SH1 final ended without a medal for the country. Mahavir Swaroop Unhalkar finished fourth with a score of 205.9, exiting after the fifth series, while debutant Rakesh Nidagundi secured seventh place with 141.5 points. Earlier on the day, Mona Agarwal also set a new Asian Para Games qualification record to top the women's 10m air rifle qualifications event, while compatriot Avani Lekhara finished second. Agarwal topped the qualification round at the 2026 Asian Para Games, setting a new continental record with a score of 629.1 after Series 6. She surpassed the previous Asian Para Games qualification record held by Chinas Zhang Cuiping but narrowly missed the world record of 629.4, jointly held by India's Avani Lekhara and Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova. Lekhara finished second in the qualification round with a total score of 626.4, ensuring India's strong showing in the event heading into the finals. Meanwhile, in the men's 10m air rifle qualifications event, Nidagundi and Unhalkar secured qualification for the finals after finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Nidagundi scored 619.3, while Unhalkar registered 617.4 after Series 6. However, India's Anandha Krishnan missed out on qualification, finishing 13th with a score of 605.2. (ANI)
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