Asian Para Games: Stars and young talents add Hangzhou gold to their collection

Five action-packed days of shooting Para sport at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China were marked by incredible performances, precision and perseverance with 13 new champions crowned across the shooting events. 

Star athletes from China and Republic of Korea were expected to dominate the competition, but other exciting talents have emerged in the past few years and India’s Avani Lekhara certainly lived up to her billing as one of the rising stars on the circuit at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre.

The 21-year-old Lekhara already demonstrated she is a force to be reckoned with after becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games, by securing gold in the R2 - 10m air rifle standing SH1 at Tokyo 2020. 

And in Hangzhou, she outperformed a strong field to win her first Asian Para Games gold medal in the same event with a score of 249.6 - a new Asian Para Games record (APGR). 

Compatriot Sidhartha Babu also claimed top honours with a APGR of 247.7 in the R6 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 to demonstrate that India could indeed turn out to be the next shooting powerhouse at the Paralympic Games in Paris next year.  

“I was feeling a bit nervous. I only realised later that I had broken the [APGR] record as well. And it feels so good. I worked so hard for this. I’d have been heartbroken If I had to go back empty handed”, Babu said after the final.

With a total of six medals, two of each colour, the country finished third in the medals table. That is just behind Republic of Korea with nine medals (three golds) and leaders China - 13 medals including four golds.

Family affairs at victory ceremony 

Despite missing out on the top honours, the gold medal for the cutest moment of the Asian Para Games might as well be rewarded to Iran’s Paralympic star Sareh Javanmardi and her three-month-old baby. 

Javanmardi finished second behind compatriot Faezeh Ahmadi in the P2 - women’s 10m air pistol SH1, with a score of 233.0 to 236.2. The 22-year-old Ahmadi demonstrated great skill and determination to fend off the three-time Paralympic champion. 

But the event was also marked by Javanmardi carrying her son on the podium for the victory ceremony. It made for a heart-warming moment at the shooting range.

With the support of her National Paralympic Committee (NPC Iran), Javanmardi was able to compete in Hangzhou with her family by her side.

“I’m so happy that my child is here with me. This is the first competition after his birth and my first medal I share with him”, Javanmardi said.

New title to the collection 

Elsewhere, Xing Huang of China will also hold fond memories of his spectacular performances throughout the shooting events on home soil. 

The two-time Paralympic champion truly delivered in front of his own fans by bagging two gold medals in the P1 - men’s 10m air pistol SH1 and P3 - mixed 25m pistol SH1 with a score of 238.6 and 27 (both APGRs) respectively. 

“It’s very exciting. I felt stressed before the match because up to now I’ve already won two Paralympic gold medals in this event. I also won the gold medal in the last Asian Para Games. So I really wanted to get this gold medal”, Huang said.

“You can’t think about this when you are playing. I was restraining myself and told myself to be calm. Only when you get the shooting right and hit high scores there’s reason to hope for a gold medal. This victory here means a lot to me.”

The other two Chinese victories came from Chao Yang in the P4 - mixed 50m pistol SH1 with a score of 224.2 (APGR) and Cuiping Zhang in the R8 - women’s 50m rifle 3P SH1 with a score of 450.5.

There were plenty of other Asian Para Games champions crowned at the state-of-the-art sports facility, too. Korea topped the podium with Jangho Lee (R1 – men’s 10 Air rifle standing SH1), Myungho Lee (R4 - mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2) and Cheoljae Lee (R5 - mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2). 

There were also gold medals for Abdulla Sultan Alaryani of United Arab Emirates (R7 - men’s 50m rifle 3P SH1) as well as Thailand’s greats Anuson Chaichamnan (R9 - mixed 50m rifle prone SH2) and Atidet Intanon (R3 - mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1) also added an Asian title to their collection.

"I’m very happy to win the medal. I’d also like to express my gratitude to the organization for hosting such a fantastic event. Although the competition was tough, it was fair and it feels rewarding to end on top. I’m very proud of my achievement”, Alaryani said.

Complete results from the 4th Asian Para Games competitions can be found here.