Avani Lekhara

Avani Lekhara is an Indian Athlete (Para Shooting). She won a gold medal in 10m air rifle standing women and a bronze medal in 50m rifle 3-position women at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and defended her 10m Air Rifle title at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She won 2x Gold Medals at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Chateauroux, bagging India’s first Shooting Quota for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, a Silver at the WSPS World Cup in Korea, and at the WSPS World Cup in Osijek and Changwon. She won a Gold Medal in the R2 10m Air Rifle event at the Asian Para Games, Hangzhou. Her current world ranking is no. 1 in the R2 Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 category and WR 1 in the R8 Womens’ 50M 3 position SH1 category and has won various world cup medals since 2017. She had a couple of junior world records on her name as well. Starting from her 1st National Shooting Championship in 2015, she has been winning all colors of medals for Rajasthan.

Avani has completed a five-year degree course in law from University of Rajasthan. She completed her schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 3 Jaipur. She was among the toppers of her school. Her sporting motto is “Life consists not in holding good cards, but playing those you hold well.”

Avani has won multiple Gold Medals in National Shooting Championships since 2016. Winning multiple medals at World Cups, she is the first and only Indian female para athlete to have won a Paralympic Gold Medal, whilst breaking the Paralympic record and equalling the World Record to win the medal.

She has been conferred the highest sporting award of India, the Maj. DhyanChand Khel Ratna Award by the President of India, and has also been awarded the IPC Best Female Debut at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. She has been conferred the Padma Shri for the year 2022. She has been awarded multiple awards by various organisations celebrating her incredible achievements on and off the field of play, including awards from BBC, The Times of India, FICCI, Sportstar – The Hindu Group, and Indian Sports Honours among various others.

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