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On Monday, Avani Lekhara won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 category at the Tokyo Paralympics 2021. She shot 249.6 points in the final, setting a new Paralympic record.
In 2020, the teenage Paralympic rifle shooter had a makeshift electronic 10m air weapon shooting range set up at her Jaipur home. It brought her a step closer to achieving a podium finish at the Games, according to Avani Lekhara's personal coach Chandra Shekhar, who said:
“Due to (the) pandemic in 2020, Avani’s movement was restricted as she couldn’t go to shooting ranges in Jaipur. To continue practice in October 2020, a makeshift electronic 10m air weapon firing point was installed at (her) home. It enabled Avani to continue to polish her skills.”
Avani Lekhara will also be competing in small bore events, including the 50m rifle prone.
For the 10m air rifle, high-quality lead pellets are used. Whereas, in the small bore 50m rifle event, a .22 cartridge is used. There are differences in trigger weight and recoil between small bore and air weapons. Her coach said:
“Avani has a bright chance of a podium finish in the small bore event. She will compete in 50m prone and 50m three positions events in her respective categories.”
The pandemic made training for both 10m and 50m events very challenging for the 19-year-old. With movement restricted due to the COVID-19 crises in 2020 and 2021, it was more challenging for Avani Lekhara to practice for 50m prone and three position rifle events, said the coach:
"Whenever there was relaxation in lockdown, we could go Jaipur’s shooting ranges to practice for the 50m prone event. Practice for 50m rifle event was not possible at home because there is no facility. To go to the local shooting ranges, we had to take permission from the local authorities as sports facilities were closed down during the pandemic. Safety and health were always on my mind during training,”
While sharpening her shooting skills was one aspect of the training, there was also the issue of bio-mechanics on account of her disability. Explaining how both the mental and physical sides of training are also vital, Chandra said:
“Strength training and gym work were part of a training program to prepare for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. We worked out an alternative plan to work at home on physical fitness as some times we couldn’t go out because of lockdown due to escalating Covid-19 cases in Jaipur.”
According to the coach, on average, Avani Lekhara practiced for a minimum of three hours a day. When the focus of her training was on both 50m and 10m, it was extended to six hours a day, divided into two sessions.
Speaking of Avani Lekhara's dedication and effort, Chandra said:
“It is all about hard work. Training for six hours a day and then going to fitness work is all about being mentally strong. Avani was always ready to go the extra distance to improve her skills.”
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