Avani, who earlier won the gold in the 10m air rifle SH1 event, became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals from a Paralympic Games. She shot a total score of 445.9 in the 50m rifle 3 positions final. Avani, who also works as an Assistant Conservator of Forest with the Govt of Rajasthan, has had been training under Suma Shirur at the JDA Shooting Range in Jaipur prior to the Tokyo Games. She has been wheelchair-bound since a road accident in 2012.

Eighteen-year-old Praveen Kumar, whose one leg was short since birth, recorded a jump of 2.07m – an Asian record – today, to take home the silver medal. He started training under the tutelage of Satyapal Singh since 2018 and went on to win the silver medal at the World Para Athletics Junior Championship 2019 in Switzerland. Right after the pandemic, Praveen won the gold medal with a then-Asian record at the Fazza Grand Prix World meet earlier this year in Dubai.

Revurve archer Harvinder Singh, meanwhile, won against Kim Min Su of Korea 6-5 in the bronze medal match in a dramatic shoot-off amid rainy conditions. It is a historic first-ever medal for India from the Paralympic Games. A gold medallist at the Asian Para Games 2018, Haryana-based archer Harvinder took fond interest in archery after watching the London 2012 Olympics.

During the lockdown Harvinder’s father turned his farm into an archery range so that he can continue his practice. Harvinder is also pursuing Ph.D (Economics) in the Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala. All the three medalists are a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

India also stayed on course for a bunch of medals in badminton as six shuttlers, including Odisha ace Pramod Bhagat, reached semifinals in different categories. The other five Indians to book last-four berths are Manoj Sarkar, Tarun Dhillon, Suhas L Yathiraj, Krishna Nagar and Palak Kohli.
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TOP: High-jumper Praveen Kumar celebrates after winning Paralympic silver medal in Tokyo on 3 September, 2021.
RIGHT: Archer Harvinder Singh with his Paralympic bronze medal in Tokyo on 3 September, 2021.