Jaipur, Oct. 20 -- Jaipur shooters Mona Agarwal and Avani Lekhara clinched gold and silver medals, respectively, in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 event at the Para Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, with Mona narrowly beating her compatriot by 0.4 points in a closely contested final. Mona scored 250.0 points to secure the gold medal, while Avani finished with 249.6 points. South Korea's Lee Yun-ri claimed bronze with 227.9 points. Mona contracted polio during childhood, leaving her unable to walk. She initially pursued athletics before trying sitting volleyball, winning several medals at the state level. After the Tokyo Paralympics, she decided to take up shooting, inspired in part by Avani's achievements. She later took a loan to prepare for the Paris Paralympics. Avani, meanwhile, began using a wheelchair following an accident in 2012 and subsequently took up shooting. She has emerged as one of India's leading para shooters, winning two medals at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 - gold and bronze. She became the first Indian woman to win two medals at a single Paralympic Games. Avani has also been honoured with the Padma Shri for her contribution to sport in 2022. The medals underline Jaipur's contribution to India's para-shooting success, with the two athletes finishing first and second in the same international final. Sports minister Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted, "A golden start for India at the Asian Para Games 2026." "Heartiest congratulations to Mona Agarwal on clinching Gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 with a new Asian Para Games record of 250.0, and to Avani Lekhara on securing Silver. A spectacular 1-2 finish for India - a proud display of skill, determination and sporting excellence. Wishing our entire Indian contingent many more memorable moments ahead."...