Avani Lekhara is an Indian para shooter. In 2021, at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she created history by winning a gold medal in 10 m air rifle and a bronze medal in 50 m rifle shooting. With this victory, she became the first Indian woman to win two medals in the Paralympics. Upon winning this competition, he was ranked 5th in the world by the ‘World Shooting Para Sports Rankings’. He also won a gold medal at the Asian Para Games in 2018.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Avani Lekhara was born on Thursday, 8 November 2001 (age 20 years; as in 2021) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He did his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jaipur. After completing her schooling, she went to Rajasthan University, Jaipur to pursue a law degree.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 3″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Praveen Lekhara and he is a tax officer of the state government.
Avni with her father
His mother’s name is Shweta Lekhara and she is a state government tax officer.
Avani Lekhara with her mother
Avni with her grandfather
He has a younger brother named Arnav Lekhara.
Avani Lekhara showing her medals
Spinal cord injury (paraplegia)
When she was 11 years old, she met with an accident in 2012. He suffered a spinal cord injury, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Due to this accident he suffered from paralysis. Three years after the accident his father encouraged him to participate in sports. He received his early training in both archery and marksmanship. Later, he chose shooting as his main sport.
para shooting career
In 2015, he started shooting at the Jagatpura Sports Complex in Jaipur, India. In 2017, Avani Lekhara participated in the World Cup tournament in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates and made her international debut in shooting sports.
Avni was welcomed in India after winning silver medal at Dubai Paralympics in 2017
He set a record and won a silver medal in R2 at the WSPS World Cup Al Ain in 2017. He won a bronze medal in R2 at the WSPS World Cup Bangkok in 2017. In 2018, he won gold medals in the 10m rifle, prone and 3P events at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup, Dubai. He won 3 gold medals at the 63rd National Shooting Championship, Bhopal in 2019. In the same year, he won 3 gold medals at the XIX Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship, New Delhi. In 2019, in R2 at the WSPS World Cup in Osijek, he won the silver medal. In 2019, he won a silver medal at the XIX Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship, New Delhi. In 2019, at the 63rd National Shooting Championship, Bhopal, he won the bronze medal.
Avani Lekhara showing her medals
In 2021, he won a silver medal in R2 at the WSPS World Cup in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. At the Tokyo Paralympics 2021, he scored 249.6 points in the final event, creating a Paralympic and world record. She defeated her rival Zhang Cuiping of China in the final round. In an interview with Hindustan Times after winning the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she said 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 unclear. I’m very happy that I could be the person to contribute to this. Hopefully there are many more medals to come. I’m very happy that I could be the person to contribute to this. Hopefully, there are many more medals to come.”
🇮🇳National Anthem in Tokyo🇮🇳
Avani Lekhara won India’s first gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics by winning the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event. Avni became the only one #IND Women who won gold medals in Olympics/Paralympics #Avanilekha pic.twitter.com/ZGTZOzGCcb
– All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) 30 August 2021
In June 2022, she won a gold medal in the Women’s 10. Rifle Standing SH1 at the Chateauroux Para Shooting World Cup; He scored a world record score of 250.6. On 11 June 2022, she won her second gold medal in the Women’s 50 m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 Final at the 2022 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Chateauroux, France. On 23 October 2023, Avani won the gold medal in the women’s R2 10-metre air rifle standing SH1 category at the Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China. In the event, he created a new record by scoring 249.6 points.
23 October 2023: Avani Lekhara after winning gold medal in the Asian Para Games
award
- In 2017, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje honored Avani with the Rising Star Award for her outstanding performance in shooting.
Avni receiving the award from Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje in 2017
- In 2021, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced his name for India’s highest sporting honour, the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
- He was awarded the Padma Shri (Sports) in 2022.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Avani Lekhara plays 10m air rifle while standing on SH1.
- Suma Siddharth Shirur is the personal coach of Avani Lekhara.
A tweet from her coach Suma Shirur
- In her free time, Avani Lekhara enjoys listening to music, watching movies and television, cooking, baking, and spending time with her family.
- His favorite shooter and shooting inspiration is former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra.
Avni with Abhinav Bindra
- Avani Lekhara’s sports training is supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Para Champions Programme.
Avni is being supported by GoSports Foundation
- According to Avani Lekhara, she was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident in 2012. Talking to Hindustan Times he said,
Before the accident, I always participated in co-curricular activities like dance in school, but after that everything changed. I was very angry at my physical condition. This was causing severe mental pain. I had no desire to talk to anyone.”
- His sports philosophy is,
Life is not in holding good cards, but in playing the cards you hold well.”
- The GoSports Foundation in India named him the most promising Paralympic athlete in 2019.
- In one of her Instagram posts, Avni shared an emotional caption with two pictures comparing her life ten years after her car accident.
Avni’s Instagram heartfelt post comparing her ten years of life before and after the accident
- In 2020, Avni demonstrated some exercises through a video on her social media account during the coronavirus pandemic. These exercises were for individuals who were using wheelchairs.
@Avanilekha international ace @shootingpara Displays some exercises at home for wheelchair individuals #IndiaFightsCoronavirus @Narendra Modi @paralympics @asianparalympic @JayPrakashNauti @KirenRijiju @rijijuoffice @CEO_Kern @CairnOilandGas @HeroMotoCorp @deepaathlete @swamiiii pic.twitter.com/K8eLCEixkD
– Paralympic India 🇮🇳 (@ParalympicIndia) 6 April 2020
- Avani Lekhara became the first Indian female para shooter to win a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Avani Lekhara on Twitter after she won the gold medal for India at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics on 30 August 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory tweet to Avani Lekhara
- Avani Lekhara is an animal lover. She often posts pictures of her pet dog on her social media account.
Avni with her pet dog
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn