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Lekhara is India's flag-bearer at Paralympics closing

September 04, 2021 19:53 IST

Avani Lekhara in action during the Paralympics R2 - women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final, Asaka Shooting Range, in Tokyo, Japan, on August 30, 2021.

IMAGE: Avani Lekhara in action during the Paralympics R2 - women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 final, at Asaka Shooting Range, in Tokyo, Japan, on August 30, 2021. Photograph Issei Kato/Reuters

Shooter Avani Lekhara will be India’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics, on Sunday.

The 19-year-old trailblazer won gold in the R-2 women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event on Monday before taking the 50m Rifle 3 Position SH1 bronze on Friday.

"Avani will be the flag-bearer and there will be 11 participants from the Indian contingent during the closing ceremony," an official of the Paralympic Committee of India said.

Lekhara, who was paralysed below the waist after a car accident in 2012, is only the Indian to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Games.

Before Lekhara, Joginder Singh Sodhi won a silver and two bronze medals in the 1984 Paralympics.

Singhraj Adana, another shooter, joined the exclusive club on Saturday when he added a silver in P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 event to the bronze he won in the P1 men's 10m air pistol SH1 event on Tuesday.

Shot-putter Tek Chand was India's flag-bearer for the Paralympics opening ceremony on August 24, having replaced high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu at the last minute.

Mariyappan, who won a silver in Tokyo, was quarantined along with five other Indians after coming in close contact with a COVID positive person during his flight to Tokyo.