Mona Agarwal Wins Silver, Avani Lekhara Takes Bronze as India Shine at Para Shooting World Championships

India enjoyed a memorable outing at the World Shooting Para Sport Championships 2026 in Changwon, South Korea, with Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara finishing on the podium in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event.

Mona secured the silver medal with a score of 250.0, finishing just 0.2 points behind Serbia’s Kristina Trifunovic, who claimed gold with 250.2. Avani completed an impressive Indian double on the podium, taking bronze with 229.4.

While the final standings were separated by a narrow margin at the top, the significance of the result goes much deeper for both Indian shooters. For Mona, it marked her maiden World Championships medal. For Avani, it added another major international medal to a collection that already includes Paralympic gold and multiple Paralympic podium finishes.

Mona Agarwal entered the Changwon competition with previous success at the venue, having won a silver medal at the World Cup there last year. This time, she went one better in terms of consistency and turned that previous experience into a World Championships podium finish. Her score of 250.0 left her just two-tenths of a point behind Trifunovic. In a sport where fractions can decide the difference between gold and silver, the margin underlined just how competitive the final was.

The silver is particularly significant because it represents Mona's first medal at a World Championships. Having already demonstrated her ability to perform at Changwon during last year's World Cup, she has now added the biggest result of her career at the same shooting range. The result also reinforces her status as one of India's leading para shooters and gives the country another elite performer capable of challenging for major international honours.

Avani Adds Another World Championships Podium

Alongside Mona stood one of the most recognisable names in Indian para sport. Avani Lekhara claimed bronze with a score of 229.4, returning to the World Championships after a four-year absence.

The medal adds another significant achievement to an extraordinary career. Avani is a two-time Paralympic champion and three-time Paralympic medallist in rifle events. She famously won back-to-back R2 gold medals at the Paralympic Games, establishing herself among the leading shooters in the sport.

Yet this bronze carries its own importance. It was Avani's first World Championships medal, adding a missing piece to her international résumé. Her last appearance at the World Championships came in 2018, when she made her debut at the event in Cheongju, South Korea. She subsequently missed the 2023 edition in Lima before making her return to the global championship stage in Changwon.

There is a familiar connection between Avani and Changwon. She has competed at three World Cups at the International Shooting Range in Changwon and claimed gold at the venue in 2022. Her latest performance therefore adds another chapter to a relationship with a range where she has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to perform at the highest level. The bronze may not have carried the same colour as her Paralympic gold medals, but its context makes it particularly valuable. Returning to the World Championships after four years and immediately making the podium represents a strong comeback on one of para shooting's biggest stages.

The most encouraging aspect of the result for India is that the medals came from two athletes at different stages of their careers. Mona is celebrating her first World Championships medal, while Avani is continuing an established legacy at the highest level. Their one-two presence on the podium behind Trifunovic also demonstrates India's strength in the SH1 women's rifle category.

The result is especially notable because shooting is a discipline where the smallest technical errors can have major consequences. Consistency, control and the ability to manage pressure through a long final are crucial, and both Indian shooters managed to produce performances good enough to finish among the world's best. For Mona, the silver can serve as a breakthrough moment. She now has a World Championships medal to add to her previous World Cup success and can build on that experience going forward.

For Avani, the bronze is another reminder that she remains a force on the international circuit.

The Changwon podium double arrives at an important time for Indian para sport, with the country's shooters continuing to establish themselves as medal contenders across major international competitions. Mona's silver and Avani's bronze provide both immediate success and longer-term encouragement. The narrow margin between gold and silver will perhaps leave Mona wondering what might have been, but a first World Championships medal is still a major milestone. Meanwhile, Avani's return to the global podium after her four-year World Championships absence is equally significant.

India therefore leaves this event with plenty to celebrate. A silver for Mona Agarwal. A bronze for Avani Lekhara. Two first-time World Championships medals in this event for Indian shooters. And perhaps most importantly, another indication that India's para shooting contingent continues to have the precision, resilience and quality required to compete with the very best in the world.