Avani Lekhara is an Indian para-shooter. In 2021, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, she made history by winning a gold medal in the 10m air rifle and a bronze medal in the 50m rifle shooting. With this win, she became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics. After winning this event, she was ranked fifth in the world in the World Shooting Para Sports Rankings. She also won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games.
Wiki/Biography
Avani Lekhara was born on Thursday, November 8, 2001, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (age 20; as of 2021). Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. She studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Jaipur. After completing her studies, she went to Jaipur to pursue a degree in law from the University of Rajasthan.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′3″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Her father’s name is Praveen Lekhara and he is a state government tax officer.
Avani and her father
Her mother’s name is Shweta Lekhara and she is a state government tax officer.
Avani Lekara and her mother
Avani and her grandfather
She has a younger brother named Arnav Lekara.
Avani Lekhara shows off her medal
Spinal cord injury (paraplegia)
In 2012, when she was 11 years old, she suffered an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. The accident left her paraplegic. Three years after the accident, her father encouraged her to take up sports. She received initial training in archery and shooting. Later, she chose shooting as her primary sport.
Disabled shooting career
In 2015, she started shooting at the Jagatpura Sports Center in Jaipur, India. In 2017, Avani Lekara made her international debut in shooting sports by participating in the World Cup Championships in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Avani was welcomed into India after winning a silver medal at the Dubai Paralympics in 2017
She set a record of R2 at the 2017 WSPS World Cup in Al Ain and won the silver medal. In 2017, she won the R2 bronze medal at the WSPS World Cup in Bangkok. In 2018, she won gold medals in the 10-meter rifle, prone and 3P events at the World Para Shooting World Cup in Dubai. In 2019, she won 3 gold medals at the 63rd National Shooting Championship in Bhopal. In the same year, she won 3 gold medals at the 19th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship in New Delhi. In 2019, she won a silver medal at the WSPS World Cup R2 in Osijek. She won a silver medal at the 19th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship in New Delhi 2019. In 2019, she won a bronze medal at the 63rd National Shooting Championship in Bhopal.
Avani Lekhara shows off her medal
In 2021, she won a silver medal in the WSPS World Cup R2 competition in Al Ain, UAE. At the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games, she scored 249.6 points in the final, setting a Paralympic and world record. She defeated her opponent Zhang Cuiping of China in the final. After winning the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, she told Hindustan Times in an interview that she felt on top of the world. She revealed,
I can’t describe this feeling, I feel like I’m on top of the world. This is unexplainable. I’m glad I can be someone who contributes to this. Hopefully there will be more medals to come. I’m glad I can be someone who contributes to this. Hopefully there will be more medals to come. “
🇮🇳 Tokyo National Anthem🇮🇳
Avani Lekhara won India’s first gold medal at the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics by winning the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event. #IND Women win gold medals at Olympics/Paralympics 🥇 #AvaniLekhara pic.twitter.com/ZGTZOzGCcb
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 30, 2021
In June 2022, she won the women’s level 10 rifle SH1 gold medal at the Châteauroux Disabled Shooting World Cup; she set a world record of 250.6 points. On June 11, 2022, she won her second gold medal in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Position SH1 final at the 2022 ParaSports World Cup in Chateauroux, France. Avani won the gold medal in the women’s R2 10m air rifle standing SH1 category at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China on October 23, 2023. In this competition, she scored 249.6 points, setting a new record.
October 23, 2023: Avani Lekhara after winning gold medal at Asian Para Games
Awards
- In 2017, Avani was awarded the Rising Star Award by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for her outstanding performance in shooting.
Avani received the award from Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje in 2017
- In 2021, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced her as the recipient of India’s highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
- She was awarded the Padma Shri (Sports) in 2022.
Facts/Trivia
- Avani Lekhara plays a standing SH1 10m air rifle.
- Suma Siddharth Shirur is Avani Lekhara’s personal trainer.
Tweet from her coach Suma Shirur
- In her free time, Avani Lekhara enjoys listening to music, watching movies and TV, cooking, baking, and spending time with her family.
- Her favorite shooter and shooting inspiration is former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra.
Avani and Abhinav Bindra
- Avani Lekhara’s athletic training is supported by the GoSports Foundation’s Disability Champions programme.
Avani is supported by the GoSports Foundation
- Avani Lekhara said the 2012 car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. She said in an interview with Hindustan Times,
Before the accident, I had been participating in extracurricular activities at school, such as dancing, but everything changed after that. I was so angry about my condition. It caused severe mental anguish. I don’t want to talk to anyone. “
- Her sports philosophy is,
Life is not about holding good cards, but about playing the good cards you hold. “
- GoSports Foundation India named her the most promising Paralympic athlete of 2019.
- In one of her Instagram posts, Avani shared a heartfelt caption and two photos while comparing her life ten years after her car accident.
Avani published a heartfelt Instagram post comparing life ten years before and after the accident
- In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Avani demonstrated some exercises via videos on her social media accounts. These exercises are suitable for people who use wheelchairs.
@AvaniLekhara international ace @ShootingPara Demonstrate some exercises for people in wheelchairs at home #IndiaFightCoronavirus @narendramodi @paralympics @Asian Paralympic Games @Jaiprakashnauti @KirenRijiju @RijijuOffice @CEO_KANE @CairnOilandGas @HeroMotoCorp @DeepaAthlete @swamiiii pic.twitter.com/K8eLCEixkD
— Paralympics India 🇮🇳 (@ParalympicIndia) April 6, 2020
- Avani Lekhara became the first Indian female para-shooter to win a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in 2021.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate Avani Lekara after winning the gold medal for India at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games on August 30, 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets congratulations to Avani Raikara
- Avani Lekhara is an animal lover. She often posts photos of her pet dogs on her social media accounts.
Avani and her pet dog
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education