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{{Short description|Indian rifle shooter and Paralympic medalist}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| full_name = Avani Lekhara
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2001|11|8}}
| birth_place = [[Jaipur]], [[Rajasthan]], India
| height = 5 feet 3 inches
| weight =
| coach = Suma Siddharth Shirur
| image = Shrimati Avani Lekhara Shooter Tokyo Paralympics mdealist with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.jpg
| caption = Lekhara with Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and other Paralympic medalists at the [[Prime Minister's Residence (India)|Prime Minister's Residence]] in 2021.
| country = {{IND}}
| sport = [[Shooting sports|Shooting]]
| event = Air Rifle SH1
| paralympics = '''[[2020 Summer Paralympics]]''': 10m air rifle standing SH1 – Gold
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalSport|Women's shooting}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Paralympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2020 Summer Paralympics|2020 Tokyo]]|[[Shooting at the 2020 Summer Paralympics|10m air rifle SH1]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2020 Summer Paralympics|2020 Tokyo]]|[[Shooting at the 2020 Summer Paralympics|50m rifle 3 positions SH1]]}}
}}

'''Avani Lekhara''' (born 8 November 2001) is an Indian [[Paralympic Games|Paralympian]] and [[Paralympic shooting|rifle shooter]]. She won a gold medal in [[ISSF 10 meter air rifle|10m air rifle standing]] and a bronze medal in [[ISSF 10 meter air rifle|50m rifle 3 positions]] at [[2020 Summer Paralympics|Tokyo 2020 Paralympics]].<ref>[https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/tokyo-paralympics-avani-lekhara-wins-gold-medal-in-shooting-event-101630285229015-amp.html Tokyo Paralympics: Avani Lekhara wins gold medal in shooting event] ''Hindustan Times''. Retrieved 30 August 2021</ref> Lekhara is currently [[International Shooting Sport Federation|World No 2]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=World Shooting Para Sport Rankings / Official World Rankings 2021|work=World Shooting Para Sport|url=https://db.ipc-services.org/sdms/web/ranking/sh/pdf/type/WR/list/464|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref> in Women's 10m Air Rifle standing SH1 [[International Shooting Sport Federation|(World Shooting Para Sport Rankings)]] and has competed in the [[2018 Asian Para Games]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=Para shooter Avani Lekhara clinches silver; India stay in top three|work=Indian Express News|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/para-shooter-avani-lekhara-clinches-silver-india-stay-in-top-three-7240271/|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=Avani Lekhara|work=The Bridge News|url=https://thebridge.in/tags/Avani-Lekhara|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=Para World Cup: Teenage shooter Avani Lekhara wins 10m air rifle silver|work=Time of India News|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/para-world-cup-teenage-shooter-avani-lekhara-wins-10m-air-rifle-silver/articleshow/70399906.cms|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=Avani Lekhara wins women's 10m air rifle silver medal at World Shooting Para Sport World Cup|work=Firstpost News|url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/avani-lekhara-wins-womens-10m-air-rifle-silver-medal-at-world-shooting-para-sport-world-cup-9449931.html|url-status=live|access-date=}}</ref> She has been supported by [[GoSports Foundation]] through the Para Champions Programme.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-19|title=Improvise, adapt, overcome: Indian para athletes' mantra for beating lockdown|url=https://www.espn.in/olympics/story/_/id/29033060/improvise-adapt-overcome-indian-para-athletes-mantra-beating-lockdown|access-date=2021-08-30|website=ESPN|language=en}}</ref> She is also the first Indian woman to win multiple medals in a single Paralympic Games.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-03|title=Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win multiple medals at Paralympics|url=https://www.espn.in/olympics/story/_/id/32137873/avani-lekhara-wins-50m-rifle-3-positions-sh1-bronze-second-medal-tokyo-paralympics|access-date=2021-09-03|website=ESPN|language=en}}</ref> She has been given out of turn appointment as Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) by the Government of Rajasthan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=News Detail|url=http://dipr.rajasthan.gov.in/content/dipr/en/news-detail.224913.html#|access-date=2021-09-11|website=dipr.rajasthan.gov.in}}</ref>

==Career==

Lekhara is the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.<ref>{{Cite news|date=30 August 2021|title=Truly special moment: India celebrates Avani Lekhara, the golden girl at Tokyo Paralympics|work=[[India Today]]|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/tokyo-paralympics-avani-lekhara-19-years-shooting-gold-medal-pm-modi-abhinav-bindra-1846937-2021-08-30|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=30 August 2021|title=Shooter Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win gold at Paralympics|work=[[The Hindu]]|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/shooter-avani-lekhara-becomes-first-indian-woman-to-win-gold-at-paralympics/article36173838.ece|access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Sana Noor |last=Haq|title=Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win Paralympic gold|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/30/sport/avani-lekhara-tokyo-shooting-gold-spt-intl/index.html|access-date=2021-09-03|website=CNN}}</ref> Lekhara also won India's first gold medal at the [[2020 Summer Paralympics]]. With a score of 249.6 points in the final event, the young shooter set a Paralympic record and tied the world record.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shooting athlete Avani Lekhara enters history books with gold|url=https://www.paralympic.org/feature/shooting-athlete-avani-lekhara-enters-history-books-gold|access-date=2021-09-03|website=International Paralympic Committee|language=en}}</ref> She began shooting in 2015, inspired by former Olympic champion [[Abhinav Bindra]] and has since won several national and international titles.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-30|title=India’s first woman Paralympic gold medallist Avani Lekhara inspired by Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/avani-lekhara-inspired-by-abhinav-bindras-autobiography-7478442/|access-date=2021-08-31|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> On 3 September 2021, she became the first Indian female Paralympian to win two medals in Paralympics history after claiming bronze in women's 50m air rifle standing event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shooter Avani Lekhara scripts history, becomes first Indian woman to win two Paralympics medals|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/avani-lekhara-shooting-bronze-medal-50m-rifle-3-position-sh1-tokyo-paralympics|access-date=2021-09-03|website=Olympics.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=September 3, 2021|title=Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win 2 Paralympic medals|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tokyo-paralympics/legend-at-19-avani-lekhara-becomes-first-indian-woman-to-win-2-paralympic-medals/articleshow/85890352.cms|access-date=2021-09-03|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

She is currently coached by Indian shooter [[Suma Shirur]].

==Personal life==
A [[car accident]] in 2012, at the age of 11, left her with complete [[paraplegia]]. Her father encouraged her to join [[sports]], training in [[archery]] but moving to [[shooting sports|shooting]] in which she found her true passion. She currently studies law in [[Rajasthan]], India.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-30|title=Tokyo Paralympic 2020: Avani Lekhara wins historic gold for India in shooting|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-58339652|access-date=2021-08-30}}</ref>

==Awards==
* 2021 – [[Khel Ratna Award]], highest sporting honour of India.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-02|title=National Sports Awards 2021: Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Mithali Raj Among 9 Others to Get Khel Ratna|url=https://www.news18.com/news/sports/national-sports-awards-2021-neeraj-chopra-lovlina-borgohain-mithali-raj-among-9-others-to-get-khel-ratna-4396067.html|access-date=2021-11-02|website=News18|language=en}}</ref>

== See also==
*[[Paralympic Committee of India]]
* [[India at the Paralympics]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Paralympic medalists for India}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lekhara, Avani}}
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female sport shooters]]
[[Category:2021 in Indian sport]]
[[Category:Paralympic shooters of India]]
[[Category:Shooting sports in India]]
[[Category:Indian sportswomen]]
[[Category:People from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jaipur]]
[[Category:Shooters at the 2020 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Paralympic gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics]]
[[Category:Paralympic medalists in shooting]]

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Avani Lekhara - Revision history

->ShelfSkewed at 07:12, 10 November 2021