Indian players are scripting new history at the Tokyo Paralympics 2021. While the total medal count for India in Paralympics from 1972 to 2016 is 12, our champions have bagged 12 medals in this edition of Paralympics alone. Interestingly, there are still 3 days of events remaining before the closing ceremony of the 2021 Paralympics.

Avani Lekhara is a 19-year-old Paralympian and rifle shooter. On September 3, she became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals. A few days ago, Lekhara had become the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold by claiming the top honours in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

Today, she pocketed the bronze medal in the Women's 50m air rifle shooting 3 positions SH1 event by finishing in third place. In the fiercely contested finals, Lekhara totalled 445.9 to finish ahead of Ukraine's Iryna Shchetnik, who let slip her grip on the medal spot with a poor third shot of 9.9 in the elimination.

These are also the first-ever shooting medals that India had won in the Paralympic Games. This is the debut Paralympic game of the 19-year-old Avani Lekhara. Lekhara opened up about her performance, "It was a tough final but I'm happy to have made it into bronze. I could have done better than this. It's just what finals do to you."

The 19-year-old scripting history at the #Tokyo2020 #Paralympics ??#IND's @AvaniLekhara collects her #Bronze medal in Women's 50m Rifle 3P SH1. #ShootingParaSport pic.twitter.com/g8YzblvCB2

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) September 3, 2021

A sigh of relief after mounting a magnificent comeback. ??

Ladies and gentleman, @AvaniLekhara - #IND's first woman to win multiple #Paralympics medals. ????#ShootingParaSport #Tokyo2020 #Bronze pic.twitter.com/UHeIwtCdiF

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) September 3, 2021

#IND at all previous #Paralympics - 12 medals ??#IND at #Tokyo2020 alone - 12 medals (and counting) ??

Simply brilliant.

— #Tokyo2020 for India (@Tokyo2020hi) September 3, 2021