Mona Agarwal struck gold for the second time at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday, setting a world record in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 final with a score of 357.5.

The Indian para-shooter bettered the previous world record of 356, held by Sweden's Anna Benson, who set the mark in Novi Sad on July 26, 2026.

China's Cuiping Zhang finished second with 353.7, while South Korea's Myoung Kim took bronze with 344.4. India's Avani Lekhara finished fourth with 333.2.

For Mona, the latest gold adds another milestone to a sporting journey that has taken several turns. The 38-year-old from Sikar, Rajasthan, won bronze in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Now, she's back on top in Nagoya, with a second gold and a world record to her name.

A DIFFERENT SPORTING PATH

Mona contracted polio at nine months old, which affected both her lower limbs. Sport, however, became a constant in her life. Before picking up a rifle, she competed in para-athletics and para-powerlifting and played a key role in women's sitting volleyball.

In 2019, she captained Rajasthan's women's team to gold at the inaugural National Sitting Volleyball Championship. Two years later, in December 2021, she began competitive rifle shooting. Success came quickly.

After winning a national silver medal in 2022, Mona claimed bronze in the mixed team event at the 2023 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in Osijek, Croatia. That year, she also won gold in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.

PARIS SETS THE STAGE

Her breakthrough arrived at the World Shooting Para Sport World Cup in New Delhi in March 2024. Mona won gold in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 event with a score of 250.7, setting an Asian record and securing a Paralympic quota place for India.

She carried that form into Paris, winning bronze in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event at the 2024 Paralympics. She also won silver in the mixed team 10m air rifle event at the New Delhi World Cup that year, along with gold at the World Cup in Changwon.

Her achievements earned her the Arjuna Award in 2024.

GOLD AND A WORLD RECORD

Away from the shooting range, Mona is a mother of two. Balancing family responsibilities with elite sport has been part of her journey, which began in disciplines far removed from rifle shooting.

Now, she has another title to add to her collection. Her second gold in Nagoya, won with a world-record score, shows just how far she has come since taking up competitive shooting less than five years ago.

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