India's ace shooter Avani Lekhara is all set to defend her gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The 22-year-old will be in action in Paris in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 qualification event.
Avani will be rubbing shoulders with compatriot Mona Agarwal and several other top-class shooters in the world.
At the tender age of 22, Avani already has numerous records to her credit by virtue of her feat at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. Avani had won gold in Tokyo in the SH1 category and also claimed a bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 category.
Avani is the first Indian woman to clinch a Paralympics gold and the first Indian to win a medal in shooting at the Paralympics.
Avani had won gold at the age of 19 and she is the youngest Indian to claim gold at the Paralympics.
Cognizant that there are more expectations from her this time around, Avani just wants to focus on the process rather than the outcome.
"I think we have been in a very positive environment throughout. We are just focusing on the process rather than the outcome. There, obviously, will be expectations but those expectations only motivate me and inspire me more to give my best," Avani had told PTI before leaving for Paris.
"I'm also more mature in my technique. And whatever it is, even if it is a negative or a positive motivation, I try to keep it outside the (firing) lane. When I go to the lane, I am only focusing and concentrating on my process rather than thinking about other things.
"I like to keep it (competitions) as similar to training as possible. If there is something which will happen in a match, I try it during training so that when I go into a competition I don't feel any uncertainty. I just try to control the controllable."
