Avani Lekhara is an Indian para sport shooter from Jaipur, Rajasthan. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games and the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at a single edition of the Paralympics. She competes in the rifle events for shooters with lower-limb impairments and is classified in the SH1 category.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Avani Lekhara |
| Born | 8 November 2001 |
| Place of birth | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Sport | Para sport shooting |
| Event | 10 m air rifle, 50 m rifle (SH1) |
| Classification | SH1 (rifle) |
| Major honour | Paralympic gold medallist (Tokyo 2020) |
Avani Lekhara was born on 8 November 2001 in Jaipur. She sustained a spinal cord injury in a road accident in 2012, which led to paraplegia and the use of a wheelchair. She took up shooting in 2015 at the Jagatpura shooting range in Jaipur, encouraged by her father after she read the autobiography of Olympic shooter Abhinav Bindra. She has pursued higher studies in law alongside her sporting career.
Lekhara progressed through national-level para shooting competitions in India before earning selection to the Indian team for international meets organised under the World Shooting Para Sport calendar. She specialised in the 10 metre air rifle standing SH1 and the 50 metre rifle three positions SH1 events.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, held in 2021, Lekhara won the gold medal in the women's 10 m air rifle standing SH1 event, setting a Paralympic record. With this result she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics. Later in the same Games she won a bronze medal in the women's 50 m rifle three positions SH1, becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at a single Paralympics.
At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Lekhara successfully defended her title in the women's 10 m air rifle standing SH1, winning a second Paralympic gold and becoming the first Indian to retain a Paralympic title in shooting.
She has represented India at World Shooting Para Sport World Cups and at the Asian Para Games, contributing to India's medal tally in para rifle events.
Lekhara's performances at Tokyo and Paris have been widely seen as a turning point for women in Indian para sport, expanding the visibility of para shooting and of athletes with spinal cord injuries. Her trajectory, from beginning the sport at a state range in Jaipur to becoming a multiple Paralympic champion, has been cited as an influence on the growing pipeline of Indian para shooters.