Mona Agarwal (born 1987) is an Indian para shooter from Rajasthan. She competes in women's 10m air rifle SH1 category. She qualified to represent India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics at Paris.[1] She won a quota place for the Paris Paralympics winning gold at the WSPS Para Shooting World Cup at New Delhi in March 2024.[2] She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[3]
 Agarwal in September 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | 8 November 1987 | ||||||||||||||
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| Country | India | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para Shooting | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editAgarwal is born in Sikar, Rajasthan. She took up shooting in December 2021 after trying different other sports including volleyball. Her husband, Ravindra Chaudhary, a former wheelchair basketball player, suffered brain injury in an accident, and is under rehab at home. She got a polio attack when she was nine months old.[1] She shifted to Jaipur after marriage.[4] Due to stigma against girls, she could not complete her schooling. After two elder sisters, her parents wanted a boy but Mona was an 'unwanted' child in the conservative family. But her maternal grandmother, Geetha Devi, supported her.[4] She has a son, Avik and a daughter Aarvi.
Career
editAgarwal made her international debut at the World Cup in Osijek, Croatia in July 2023.[4] After the Delhi gold, she won another gold at the Para World Cup in Changwon, Korea in April 2024.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b PTI (2024-03-09). "Para Shooting World Cup: Athlete-turned-shooter Mona Agarwal claims gold in 10m air rifle event, aims more glory". Sportstar. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Para shooter Mona Agarwal wins 10m air rifle gold, clinches Paris Paralympic quota for India". The Times of India. 2024-03-09. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Once mocked for being girl child and polio-stricken, Mona Agarwal is now a Paralympics medallist". The Indian Express. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ a b c "Para shooter Mona Agarwal turns adversity into her biggest strength". Indianshooting. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ PTI. "Funds to buy new wheelchair hindering champion para shooter Mona Agarwal's Paralympic preparation". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-08-13.