Nagoya, Oct 19 Mona Agarwal staged a stirring comeback in the final to beat compatriot Avani Lekhara for the gold as India opened its medal account at the Asian Para Games with a one-two finish in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event here on Monday.
Mona, a bronze-medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, climbed from sixth place to set an Asian Para Games record of 250.0, edging two-time Paralympic champion Avani by a mere 0.4 points.
The 24-year-old Avani, who entered as the defending champion, settled for silver with 249.6.
Her medal also secured India a second quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, with Mona having already earned one at the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Championships in Changwon, South Korea last month where she won a silver.
Korea’s Yunri Lee (227.9) took the bronze in the same event. SH1 classification is for shooters with lower limb impairments.
The duel between the two shooters from Jaipur went down to the final shot of the 24-shot contest. Mona held a slender 0.1-point lead over Avani — 239.1 to 239.2 — before the decisive shot.
Mona produced a superb 10.8, while Avani managed 10.5, sealing the gold for the 38-year-old mother of two.
“I knew only one thing, I had to keep repeating the process and give it my best shot. I believed I could get back to the top if I did that. So, when I was trailing and staring at elimination, I did not think too much.
“I kept faith in the process, stayed relaxed and continued to trust myself,” said Mona, who will next compete in the 50m rifle 3-positions event and aim for a grand double.
Mona had set the pace in qualification, topping the eight-shooter field with 629.1 to establish an Asian Para Games qualification record. Avani was second with 626.4.
But the final followed a different script early on as Avani, who was aiming to defend her Hangzhou gold, took charge by opening with a 10.8 to Mona’s 10.1.
She led after the first five shots with a total of 53.2 and maintained her advantage after the next five, moving to 104.8 as Mona languished in sixth place with 102.9.
The momentum shifted during the elimination stage.
While Avani faltered with a string of modest scores, Mona steadily worked her way up the standings, setting up a thrilling finish.
“If you look at my previous match records, you will notice a similar pattern. I tend to start slowly but gradually climb up the ranks. I have been working on this in training as well — learning how to control a match and fight back even when I am in a losing position.
“I don’t quit when the chips are down. Instead, I try to regain control of the situation and make up lost ground. That is something I work on in training,” Mona added.
Mona said she learnt her lessons the hard way at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where she made the final but finished sixth.
“It was only my third international competition. When you lose or fail to finish on the podium, it is heartbreaking. But I learn from my seniors, draw on those experiences and use them to prepare myself to perform better in upcoming events.”
For Mona, the gold capped a remarkable performance after a slow start.
For Avani, who was left wheelchair-bound following a car accident, the silver added another major medal to her decorated career.
(PTI News)
