Earlier this year, Mona had also secured the first Indian quota at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and today she has become the first-ever to win a women’s 50m 3P gold
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Mona Agarwal poses after winning gold at the Asian Para Games 2026(Photo: Special arrangement)
Paris Paralympic bronze medallist Mona Agarwal once again proved her mettle by producing a sensational performance to not only win gold but also shatter the world record in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event at the on-going Asian Para Games 2026 in the Japanese cities of Aichi and Nagoya.
Mona’s fine performance saw her accumulate a total of 357.5 points, which also helped her break both World and Asian records at the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting GalleryShe has also become the first Indian ever to clinch a podium finish in this event at the Asian Para Games.
The Rajasthan-born para shooter broke the previous world record of 356 held by Sweden’s Anna Benson earlier in JulyMona also bettered the Asian record of 355.7 which was set up by South Korea’s Lee Yunri last month.
Notably, Mona Agarwal is the first Indian to secure a quota in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic gamesShe began the 50m 3P SH1 finale with a cumulative score of 101.4 in the kneeling series before moving to 203.5 in the prone series and finished the first two standing series at 256.5 and 307.3.
In the final stretch, Mona shot 317.7, 328.0, 338.1 and 347.7 followed by 357.5 in the final seriesThat performance helped her see off China’s Zhang Cuiping and South Korea’s Kim Miyoung who finished second and third respectively.
This was Mona’s second gold medal at the Asian Para Games after winning the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 finale with a games record of 250 while her compatriot and India’s first-ever female gold medallist at the Paralympics, Avani Lekhara, won silver with a score of 249.6 points.
Mona Agarwal’s background and past achievements
Born in Sikar, Rajasthan, and currently based in Jaipur, Agarwal contracted polio when she was nine months old and the condition affected both her legs and left her dependent on a wheelchair.
As the third daughter in her family, she faced social stigma because of her disability from a young ageHowever, she continued to pursue her interests and refused to let her condition hold her back.
Before taking up shooting, Agarwal competed at the state level in shot put, discus throw, javelin throw and weightliftingA mother of two, she started rifle shooting in December 2021 at a local academy in Jaipur.
She made an impressive start to her international career, winning bronze in the mixed team event on her World Cup debut in Osijek, Croatia, in 2023.
At the 2024 World Cup in New Delhi, her fourth international event, she won gold with an Asian record and secured a Paralympic quota for IndiaShe went on to win bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the Paris Paralympics, making a successful debut at the Games.
