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India made a remarkable start at the Asian Para Games 2023, securing an impressive tally of 17 medals on the opening day, with star shooter Avani Lekhara leading the charge. This performance positioned India fourth in the overall standings, trailing behind hosts China, Iran, and Uzbekistan.
The athletics track was a goldmine for India, contributing 11 of the 17 medals, five of which were gold. The day's momentum was set by the Indian men's team, who clinched all three medals in the men's club throw F51 event. Pranav Soorma stood out, breaking the Asian Para Games record with a throw of 30.01m. Dharambir and Amit Kumar followed in second and third places, respectively.
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Avani Lekhara, later in the day, added another feather to India's cap by clinching gold in the women's R2 10m air rifle standing SH1 category, setting a new games record score of 249.6. "This gold is very special for me because this is my first medal in the Asian Para Games," Avani expressed post her win.
Another Indian para shooter, Mona Agarwal, secured the sixth position in the rankings. Meanwhile, Rudransh Khandelwal clinched a silver medal in the P4 mixed 50m pistol SH1 event.
The day also witnessed stellar performances from other athletes. Shailesh Kumar set an Asian Para Games record in the men's high jump T63 category, while Nishad Kumar and Praveen Kumar added golds in their respective high jump events.
In the men's high jump T63 category, three Indians secured the top three positions. However, due to the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) regulations, only gold and silver medals were awarded.
Since only three Indians participated in the event, the APC's 'minus one rule' was applied. As a result, Shailesh Kumar clinched the gold with a record-breaking jump of 1.82m at the Asian Para Games, while Mariyappan Thangavelu secured silver with a jump of 1.80m.
Under the APC guidelines, Govindbhai Ramsingbhai Padhiyar, who jumped 1.78m, was ineligible for a bronze medal.
In the medal standings, India, with 6 golds, 6 silvers, and 5 bronzes, trails behind host nation China (31 golds, 29 silvers, 23 bronzes), Iran (9 golds, 9 silvers, 6 bronzes), and Uzbekistan (6 golds, 6 silvers, 8 bronzes).
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