Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Avani Lekhara is first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals

Avani, who previously won gold at the Tokyo Paralympics, scored 249.7 to surpass her own record of 249.6 set in Tokyo.

Gold medallist Avani Lekhara of Team India poses on the podium during the medal ceremony after Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Final on day two of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
Gold medallist Avani Lekhara of Team India poses on the podium during the medal ceremony after Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Final on day two of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)

AVANI Lekhara has become the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals, securing victory in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event in Chateauroux, France on Friday.

Her compatriot, Mona Agarwal, also performed strongly, earning a bronze medal.


Avani, who previously won gold at the Tokyo Paralympics, scored 249.7 to surpass her own record of 249.6 set in Tokyo.

Mona, who began her shooting career in 2022, scored 228.7 to claim the bronze.

At the age of 11, Avani was left paralysed below the waist following a car accident.

She made history at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 as the first woman shooter from India to win medals in shooting.

The SH1 shooting category includes athletes with impairments in their arms, lower trunk, legs, or those missing limbs.

During the qualification round, Avani, the defending champion, shot 625.8, placing second behind Iryna Shchetnik, who set a new Paralympic qualification record with a score of 627.5.

Competing in her first Paralympics, Mona, a two-time World Cup gold medallist, shot 623.1 in the qualification round, securing fifth place to enter the final.

In archery, India's Sheetal Devi finished second in the women's individual compound open ranking round, advancing directly to the round of 16 at the Paris Paralympics. The 17-year-old, who shoots with her legs due to being born without arms, scored 703 points, just one point behind Turkey's Oznur Girdi Cure, who set a new world record with 704 points.

Devi's score also surpassed the previous world record of 698 set by Phoebe Pine Paterson earlier this month. In the 72-arrow contest, Devi shot 59 10s and 24 Xs, while her Turkish opponent scored 56 10s and 29 Xs.

Sheetal Devi finished second in the women's individual compound open ranking round. (Photo credit: X/@Sheetal_archery)

The top-four finishers, including Devi, received byes from the round of 32 competition and will compete in the round of 16 on Saturday. Devi will face the winner of the match between Mariana Zuniga of Chile and Choi Na Mi of Korea. Zuniga had previously won silver in the women's individual compound open at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Another Indian competitor, Sarita, finished ninth with a score of 682 and will face Abdul Jalil Nur Jannaton of Malaysia in the round of 32 on Friday.

Devi gained prominence during the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Games. She also won a silver medal, adding to her achievements.

More For You

JLR-Getty
A logo is pictured outside a Jaguar Land Rover new car show room in Tonbridge, south east England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jaguar Land Rover says no customer data stolen in cyber breach

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) said on Friday it is working "at pace" to resolve a cyber incident that has severely affected its retail and production activities. Factory staff have been told to stay at home until at least early next week.

The company disclosed the breach on Tuesday, the latest in a series of cyber and ransomware attacks against businesses globally. Companies such as Marks & Spencer and Co-op have also been hit by breaches in recent years.

Keep ReadingShow less
India vs Pakistan

India's Hardik Pandya celebrates with teammates after he took a wicket during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 group match against Pakistan on June 9, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

First India-Pakistan match since conflict headlines Asia Cup

Highlights:

  • India and Pakistan to meet for the first time since May’s conflict
  • Asia Cup begins Tuesday in the UAE as preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup
  • Harbhajan Singh opposes the fixture, citing tensions between the nations
  • India are defending champions and lead Pakistan 10-3 in T20 internationals

INDIA and Pakistan will meet for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May when they face each other in the Asia Cup starting Tuesday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zubir Ahmed

Ahmed takes up the role of parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department of Health and Social Care. (Photo: X/@zubirahmed)

Seema Malhotra and Zubir Ahmed take new posts in junior minister reshuffle

SEEMA MALHOTRA and Dr Zubir Ahmed have been appointed to new ministerial roles as part of Keir Starmer’s reshuffle, which followed Angela Rayner’s resignation as housing secretary and deputy prime minister.

Ahmed takes up the role of parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Department of Health and Social Care.

Keep ReadingShow less
​London Underground

London Underground services will not resume before 8am on Friday September 12. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tube strike begins as RMT stages five-day walkout over pay

Highlights:

  • First London Underground strike since March 2023 begins
  • RMT members stage five-day walkout after pay talks collapse
  • Union demands 32-hour week; TfL offers 3.4 per cent rise
  • Elizabeth line and Overground to run but face heavy demand

THE FIRST London Underground strike since March 2023 has begun, with a five-day walkout over pay and conditions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Onam 2025: 5 celebrity Onam celebrations that got the looks just right

Onam 2025: 5 celebrity fits that nailed the Onam mood

Onam 2025: 5 celebrity Onam celebrations that got the looks just right

Highlights:

  • Mohanlal kept it timeless in a crisp mundu and shirt
  • Prithviraj & Supriya Menon looked like the perfect festive album shot
  • Malavika Mohanan brought in a twist with her kasavu saree with traditional jewellery
  • Malaika Arora embraced Kerala’s spirit with a kasavu saree, temple jewellery, and a warm Sadhya
  • R. Madhavan & Sarita Birje showed coordinated elegance in mundu and saree

Festivals tell their own stories. Sometimes it’s not in the captions, not even in the feasts, but in the clothes, the smiles, and the way people carry tradition without trying too hard. Onam this year gave us just that: celebrities, often dripping in designer labels, strip it back to something pure, elegant, and powerfully rooted.

Here’s who absolutely nailed the Onam vibe.

Keep ReadingShow less