Paralympics 2024: Social media erupts with praise as Avani Lekhara and Mona Aggarwal secure gold and bronze
Avani Lekhara and Mona Aggarwal kicked off India's medal tally at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, winning gold and bronze in the women¡¯s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event. Avani defended her title with a Paralympic record, while Mona secured her first Paralympic medal. Social media erupted with praise, celebrating their achievements and perseverance.
India¡¯s medal journey at the 2024 Paris Paralympics began on a high note, with shooters Avani Lekhara and Mona Aggarwal claiming gold and bronze, respectively, in the women¡¯s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event. Avani, who had previously won gold in the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, successfully defended her title with a record-breaking score of 249.7 points, setting a new Paralympic Games record.
Goosebump Moments!
¡ª Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) August 30, 2024
India's?? National Anthem Playing at Avani Lekhara's Victory Ceremony at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games!#Paris2024 #Cheer4Bharat #Paralympics2024@mansukhmandviya @MIB_India @PIB_India @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @AkashvaniAIR @ParalympicIndia @PCI_IN_Official¡ pic.twitter.com/TQopka00zZ
In a proud and emotional moment for India, the national anthem played during Avani Lekhara¡¯s victory ceremony, highlighting her remarkable achievement. Following her triumph, Avani expressed her gratitude in a short interaction with IANS, stating, "I am so grateful to my team, my teachers, my parents, my country."
Watch: Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win two gold medals at Paralympics, says, "I am so grateful to my team, my teachers, my parents, my country" pic.twitter.com/SF7cgPk2Vt
¡ª IANS (@ians_india) August 30, 2024
Mona Aggarwal, who clinched the bronze medal with a score of 228.7 points in the final, also brought glory to India with her stellar performance.
Netizens react with pride to Avani and Mona's achievements
The incredible performances of Avani and Mona created a significant buzz on social media, with netizens showering both athletes with praise. One X user, celebrating Avani's back-to-back gold medals, remarked, "...Gold is destination for others, but it's routine for Avani Lekhara."
First ever Indian athlete (male or female), to win back to back Gold medals at Paralympics or Olympics.
¡ª Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 30, 2024
Gold is destination for others, but it's routine for Avani Lekhara pic.twitter.com/XxlTpA8CnU
Another user highlighted the prowess of Indian women in shooting, commenting, "Indian women are good in shooting. Now Avani Lekhara gets the gold and Mona Aggarwal wins bronze in shooting."
Indian women are good in shooting
¡ª kariketar (@kariketar) August 30, 2024
Now Avani lekhara get the gold and Mona aggarwal won bronze in shooting #shooting #Paralympics2024 #avani #HappyBirthdayNagarjuna pic.twitter.com/jDxe8f2PVT
The admiration also extended to Reddit, where a thread on the r/indiansports subreddit saw users expressing their heartfelt appreciation.
Paralympics 2024: Avani Lekhara Wins Gold, Mona Agarwal Takes Bronze in Women¡¯s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
byu/puppuli inindiansports
One redditor called Avani "our golden girl," while another humorously wished they could tag someone who had doubted India's chances at the Paralympics. Another user noted, "Finally some luck swings our way after all those 4th place heartbreaks! Wonderful perseverance from Avani."
Avani Lekhara: India¡¯s golden para-shooter
Avani Lekhara has made history again, becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympics. Her journey to this moment began after a tragic accident at the age of 11 left her wheelchair-bound. Encouraged by her father, Avani found solace in sports, eventually pursuing para-shooting full-time in 2015. Inspired by Abhinav Bindra, Avani made her mark at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won a gold and a bronze. Her achievements earned her the Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awards.
Mona Aggarwal: From polio survivor to Paralympic medalist
Mona Aggarwal, who overcame early-onset polio to become a para-athlete, has shown incredible resilience. Born in Sikar, Rajasthan, Mona received strong support from her maternal grandmother, eventually finding her passion in para-shooting in 2021. After securing bronze at the 2023 WSPS World Cup in Croatia, Mona booked her ticket to the Paris Paralympics with a gold medal at the 2024 WSPS World Cup in New Delhi. She is also set to compete in the 50m rifle prone R6 and women¡¯s 50m rifle three-position R8 events in Paris.
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Kumar Debvrat is a copyeditor at Indiatimes, combining trending topics in India with unique human-interest stories. He has a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, enjoying both cricket and comic book movies.
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