Indian para-athletes delivered impressive performances at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with Mona Agarwal setting a new qualification record in women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 and Avani Lekhara finishing second.
India also made a strong start in para-archery, where Sheetal Devi equalled the world record in the women’s compound qualification round.
Mona Agarwal topped the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 qualification standings with 629.1 points, surpassing the previous Asian Para Games record held by China’s Zhang Cuiping.
Her score was just 0.3 points short of the world record of 629.4, jointly held by Avani Lekhara and Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova.
Lekhara secured second place with 626.4 points, giving India the top two qualification positions ahead of the final.
Both shooters are Paralympic medallists. Lekhara won gold and Agarwal claimed bronze at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
India also secured two qualification spots in the men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final.
- Rakesh Nidagundi: Seventh with 619.3 points.
- Swaroop Unhalkar: Eighth with 617.4 points.
Anandha Krishnan finished 13th with 605.2 points and missed qualification for the final.
India’s para-archery campaign received another boost as 19-year-old Sheetal Devi scored 704 out of 720 points in the women’s compound qualification round.
Her score equalled the world record and improved the previous Asian record of 698 by six points.
Sheetal, the reigning world champion and a bronze medallist at the Paris Paralympics, will aim to carry her form into the elimination rounds.
Fellow Indian archer Payal Nag also performed strongly, scoring 675 points to finish joint fifth in the women’s compound qualification standings.
The performances highlight India’s growing strength in para-sports, particularly shooting and archery. Strong qualification results place athletes in promising positions heading into medal rounds, while record-breaking performances demonstrate their competitive ability on the international stage.
