File image of the all-India podium at World Deaf Shooting Championship.© X (Twitter)

Indian shooters Avani Lekhara finished 11th while Sidhartha Babu ended 28th and were unable to make the final of the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) event at the Paralympic Games on Sunday. In the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH2) qualification, Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna ended in 26th place with a total score of 630.2. In the Paralympics mixed event, both men and women compete on the line against each other. Coming off her historic gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, Avani could not replicate that form despite a strong start in what is not her pet event, and ended the competition with a total score of 632.8.

Sidhartha aggregated 628.3 across six series.

Avani’s sequence of scores read 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, 106.2, while Sidhartha had scores of 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6, 105.7.

On Friday, Avani, the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals with her victory in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event, had defended her title with a world record score.

In SH1, athletes are able to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair).

Athletes classified in SH2 category are unable to hold their rifle independently, so they use a stand, but can aim by themselves and control the weapon when they shoot. Certain athletes may have an assistant to reload their gun.

Only the top eight from qualification progress to the final.

The 44-year-old Devaraddi scored 105.2 in Series 1, improved it to 105.7 in the next series. He followed that with a sequence of 105.4, a disappointing 104.3, 105.6 and 104.0.

Eleven years ago, an accident left him with limited control over his limbs.

Born in 1980 in Dharwad, Devaraddi currently resides in Hubballi with his wife, son, and parents. The accident took place when his bike overturned on a gravel road, resulting in a serious spinal cord injury and despite undergoing surgery, he lost control of both his hands and legs.

A mother of two, Mona Agarwal used to cry every single day at the shooting range when her kids on video calls would innocently claim that she had forgotten her way back home and she must put the address on GPS and return. On Friday, participating in her maiden Paralympics, the 37-year-old Mona clinched the bronze medal in women’s 10m air rifle after gunning for the gold medal in the final, which eventually went to India’s Avani Lekhara.

Having gone through the struggles of being away from her children and even facing financial problems, Mona eventually achieved her dream of winning a medal in a competition that she, by her own admission, did not know existed.

“When I came for my practice I left my kids behind at home. I was heartbroken,” Mona told the media.

“Everyday I would make video calls to them and they would tell me, ‘mumma aap raasta bhool gaye ho, GPS pe laga ke wapas aa jao!’ (mumma, you have forgotten the way back home. Please put it on the GPS and come back!).”

“I used to cry every evening when I would speak with my kids… I then started calling them once a week,” she said.

Mona also recalled facing financial difficulties among other hurdles.

“That was my toughest part, the financial crisis was another. I did feel the financial load which I took to get here. But at the end, I am through all the struggles and hurdles and have been able to achieve a medal, and I am feeling great,” she said.

“This is my first Paralympics, I just started shooting two-and-a-half years back and within this period I reached this platform and performed my best and achieved my (goal of winning a) medal,” Mona added.

Mona, who is polio-stricken, said while she had left home in 2010 to make a career in sports, till 2016 she did not know there was a scope for her in competitions like the Paralympics.

“Before 2016, I was not even aware that we could participate in any of the games. When I realised that I can, I tried understanding which game I can participate in with my disability and in which game I can perform my best with my situation. After (trying out) 3-4 games, I chose shooting,” she said.

When asked about how her family, neighbours and relatives would be feeling today, Mona said, “They are all very excited because in 2010 I left my home just to fulfil my dreams, there were objections like ‘we will not accept your game’ or ‘we will not let you in’.” “There were so many restrictions, but today, they are all with me and feeling proud,” she said.

Shooter Avani Lekhara said that she was happy to win a medal for the country.© X (Twitter)

Being prepared for any eventuality and remaining confident in his ability is 17-year-old pistol marksman Rudransh Khandelwal’s mantra in life as he embarks on a journey to bring glory from the Paris Paralympics. Having lost his left leg in a freak mishap when he was just eight-years-old, the teenaged Bharatpur boy never let disability come in his way as he excelled in shooting sport to become the world No.1 in 50m pistol (SH1) and is now aiming for nothing less than a gold in his maiden Paralympics.

To achieve his aim, he is leaving nothing to chance, including taking a spare pistol and a tool-kit for his prosthetic leg, just in case it breaks during competition.

Seeing ace shooter Manu Bhaker struggle with a pistol malfunction during the Tokyo Olympics was a “lesson” for Rudransh, who now always carries a spare pistol for both domestic and international competitions.

“Like the weapon malfunction during competition, how to quickly get used to the other (spare) weapon and shoot. I prepare myself for every eventuality in competition, including a delayed match, a shot getting cancelled, or any other eventuality.

“So, if at all an adverse situation arises, I will be ready to handle it,” said Rudransh, adding, he learnt this after seeing Manu’s pistol malfunction in Tokyo.

Manu had a pistol malfunction during the 10m competitions in Tokyo which cost her a place in the final.

“Definitely, that (Manu incident) gave me that thought (to always keep a spare weapon). You might have confidence in your abilities but the weapon is only an equipment, which can malfunction anytime. Following that incident, every shooter gives priority to a spare weapon,” said one of India’s best medal hopes at the Paralympics, which start on Wednesday.

A broken prosthetics leg just 15 minutes before the start of a domestic competition gave Rudransh another lesson in life — to be ready with a tool-kit to promptly repair the contraption.

“It’s happened 15-20 minutes before a match, when my prosthetic leg broke. Now I keep a tool-kit to quickly repair it. And, if it happens again, I am ready for it,” said Rudransh, whose leg got severed while he was watching fireworks during a cousin sister’s marriage in Bharatpur in 2015.

“There was a short-circuit in the electronic gadget controlling the fireworks and a flying metal plate severed my left leg just below the knee.

“I was taken to a hospital in Bharatpur from where I was referred to Jaipur and then to a hospital in Gurugram but my leg couldn’t be saved. So, the next thing was a prosthetic leg,” said Rudransh in a matter-of-fact manner.

Life returned to normal after six months but his mother’s biggest worry was Rudransh not falling victim to depression. A lecturer in Bharatpur University, she started looking for options to keep him busy.

“She thought sports would be a good way to keep me from drifting into depression. She did a lot of research before initiating me into shooting.” Rudransh started talking baby steps in the sport with Sumit Rathi, his coach, helping him.

“I could not stand on my prosthetic leg for more than 2-3 hours during practice. He (coach) continued to work on me and from 2-3 hours, it became 7-8 hours.” While Rudransh started with 10m air pistol, it took him seven years to get into the national squad, and that is the time he felt really low.

“I have seen those failures and thought I should quit. But family support helped me to continue. For seven years, I missed the national squad by fraction of a point. But in 2022, I switched to 50m pistol at the insistence of my coach and life took an unlikely turn… it turned upside down.” “Cut to 2022, I got selected in the National squad and played my first World Cup. In my second World Cup, I got four gold medals with three world records. Then came the World Championship where I won the Paralympic Games quota, following which I also won two silver medals at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.” Even as he continued to compete in international competitions, he had to regularly travel to Delhi for consultations with doctors for readjustment of the prosthetic leg.

“I’m 17-years old and continue to grow, so every month the prosthetic leg has to be readjusted. I have had four prosthetic leg replacements since I lost my leg. Recently, with the help of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) funding, I have been able to afford a high-end adjustable leg costing Rs 8 lakh,” he said.

“Before that, the leg I used, it didn’t give me proper balance and I used to fall often… the (walking) speed was also slow.” Rudransh said there is no pressure of expectation on him going into the Paralympics as his preparations have gone “really well”.

“On the contrary, it feels nice that people’s expectations are high and they have faith in the Indian shooting contingent. So, there is no pressure on me as I have full confidence on the process and I know that I will do our best.”

Manu Bhaker also requested Mary Kom to plan a workout session with her.© Instagram

Paris Paralympics shooting contingent.© X/@Media_SAI

Legendary double trap marksman Peter Wilson of Great Britain, who guided country-mate Nathan Hales to trap gold at the recently-concluded Paris Olympics, has shown interest in the Indian team coaching job and wants to train the shooters for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Wilson, 37, was the youngest competitor in double trap at the 2012 London Olympics to win a gold medal. He holds the world record in double trap and took up shooting after a snow-boarding accident left him unable to play cricket.

After double trap was removed from the Olympic curriculum, Wilson started coaching the Great Britain team in trap, with the crowning glory coming in Paris where his ward Nathan won gold with an Olympic record to break a 12-year-long wait for the country in the event.

“I have e-mailed my CV to the National Rifle Association of India and am waiting to hear from them,” Wilson told PTI from UK.

“I want to work with the senior team to prepare them for the LA Games and the juniors to prepare them for the next 8-12 years,” said Wilson, adding that he only aims for “success” and nothing less.

Asked if it would be a challenge coming to terms with the setup in India, he categorically said “there shouldn’t be any problem”.

He added that for him the continental championships such as the “Asian Games, the World Cups, World Championships among others are a stepping stone towards the ultimate aim of winning an Olympic medal” and he would strive for that.

Wilson, who has been honoured with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) has been coached by the great Ahmad Al Maktoum, who is a member of the ruling family of Dubai and the 2004 Athens Olympics gold medallist in double trap.

India’s Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had finished second behind Al Maktoum in Athens.

India is without a foreign trap coach for quite some time with most shooters, who competed at the Paris Olympics, taking the help of personal coaches. Italy’s Marcello Dradi was the last trap coach the Sports Authority of India and NRAI had hired.

NRAI secretary-general Sultan Singh said, “He must have mailed the CV on the official e-mail ID. We have not yet taken a call on the date (when the new coaching setup for all shooting events will be in place). But, yes, it has to be done at the earliest.” Asked if the coaches will be short-listed before the election of NRAI president on September 14, Singh said, “Normally it should be once the president takes charge and he does it but if the situation demands that we have to hold the selection committee (meeting) then may be (earlier). Basically, it’s the exigency.” On whether the likes of Italy’s double trap stalwart Daniele Di Spigno and David Kostelecky, the personal coach of woman trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari, were also in contention for the job, Singh said, “We would like to have the best of the lot so that the drawing board is enough for us to calculate the requirement…” When asked whether former foreign trap coach Dradi would be considered for the role, Singh said, “Till the time the selection committee does not say yes or now, I can’s say anything. All of these coaches are going to apply, I can’t take a call on my own. The coaches will be assessed from all angles,” he added.

Manu Bhaker is the first Indian woman to win a medal in shooting at Olympics.© AFP

Manu Bhaker in action© AFP