India’s Rubina Francis made history at the Paris Paralympics, securing a bronze medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH-1 final. This achievement marks her as the first Indian woman to win a medal in pistol events at the Paralympics. Francis finished the final with a score of 211.1 points, placing her behind Javanmardi Sareh of Iran who took gold with 236.8 points and Turkey’s Ozgan Aysel who secured silver with 231.1 points.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Francis, highlighting her dedication, focus, and the historical significance of her accomplishment. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also lauded Francis, praising her for transforming the shooting range into a “stage of glory” and for being a trailblazer in Indian para-shooting.
Francis’s journey to the podium began in the qualification round, where she secured seventh place with a total score of 556 points. Her performance throughout the six rounds showcased her consistency, scoring 90, 90, 95, 92, 95, and 94 points.
The Paris Paralympics have seen a surge of success for Indian shooters. Earlier on Friday, reigning champion Avani Lekhara secured gold in the women’s 10m air rifle final, setting a new personal best with 249.7 points. Shooters Mona Agarwal and Manish Narwal also contributed to India’s medal tally, winning bronze and silver respectively in their events. In track events, Preethi Pal added another bronze medal to India’s collection, achieving a personal best of 14.21 seconds in the women’s T35 100m race.
The Indian contingent’s performance at the Paris Paralympics continues to build upon their impressive showing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where they secured five medals in shooting, including two gold, one silver, and two bronze.
