Asian Para Games: Mona, Avani Dominate Shooting; Sheetal Devi Equals World Record
India dominates at the Asian Para Games as Mona Agarwal sets a record in shooting and Sheetal Devi equals the world record in archery.
India has stormed into the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a series of breathtaking performances across shooting and archery. From shattering continental records to equaling world benchmarks, the Indian contingent has signaled its dominance early in the competition.
Shooting: Mona Agarwal Smashes Asian Record
The women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event witnessed a masterclass from India's Mona Agarwal. Agarwal topped the qualification round with a stunning score of 629.1 after Series 6, establishing a new Asian Para Games qualification record. In doing so, she surpassed the previous mark held by China's Zhang Cuiping.
Agarwal came agonizingly close to the world record of 629.4, which is currently shared by her compatriot Avani Lekhara and Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova. Adding to India's success, Avani Lekhara secured the second spot in the qualification round with a score of 626.4, ensuring that India holds the top two positions heading into the finals.
Men's Shooting Progress
The men's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event also saw Indian shooters make their mark. Rakesh Nidagundi and Swaroop Unhalkar successfully navigated the qualification round to secure their places in the finals. Nidagundi finished seventh with a score of 619.3, while Unhalkar followed in eighth place with 617.4.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a clean sweep for the men's team, as Anandha Krishnan missed out on the finals, finishing 13th with a total of 605.2.
Archery: Sheetal Devi's Historic Feat
Over at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, para-archer Sheetal Devi delivered a performance for the history books. In the women's compound archery ranking round, Devi equalled the world record by scoring 704 out of a possible 720 points, joining Turkey's Oznur Cure as a joint record holder.
Devi's precision was unmatched, as she recorded 32 Xs and 25 10s, scoring exactly 352 points in each half of the round. This performance not only equalled the world record but also:
- Bettered her own Asian record of 698 (set in Bangkok in March) by six points.
- Set a new Asian Games record, surpassing her previous mark of 680 points from Hangzhou 2023.
Strong Support in Archery
Sheetal Devi was not alone in her success. Fellow archer Payal Nag put up a formidable performance, finishing joint fifth with 675 points. Payal showed great consistency, scoring 334 points in the first half and improving to 341 in the second.
Together, Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag topped the Para compound women's doubles ranking round with a combined powerhouse score of 1,379 points.
Men's Compound Archery Results
In the men's compound archery ranking round, India continued its strong run:
- Harvinder Singh finished fifth with a total of 631 points, recording eight Xs and 13 10s.
- Vijay Sundi secured seventh place with a score of 630 points, recording six Xs and 13 10s.