Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 19 : India's Mona Agarwal set a new Asian Para Games qualification record to top the women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, while compatriot Avani Lekhara finished second. In the men's event, Rakesh Nidagundi and Swaroop Unhalkar also secured their places in the final after finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.
Mona Agarwal topped the qualification round at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, setting a new continental record with a score of 629.1 after Series 6.
Agarwal surpassed the previous Asian Para Games qualification record held by China’s Zhang Cuiping but narrowly missed the world record of 629.4, jointly held by India's Avani Lekhara and Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova.
Lekhara finished second in the qualification round with a total score of 626.4, ensuring India's strong showing in the event heading into the finals.
Meanwhile, in the men's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event, Indian shooters Rakesh Nidagundi and Swaroop Unhalkar secured qualification for the finals after finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Nidagundi scored 619.3, while Unhalkar registered 617.4 after Series 6.
However, India's Anandha Krishnan missed out on qualification, finishing 13th with a score of 605.2.
Meanwhile, Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi equalled the world record in the women's compound archery ranking round at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, scoring 704 out of a possible 720 points at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
Turkey’s Oznur Cure is the other archer who jointly holds the world record.
Sheetal Devi also bettered her previous Asian record of 698, set in Bangkok, Thailand, in March this year, by six points. She scored 352 points in each half of the qualification round, recording 32 Xs and 25 10s to finish first and make a strong start to India's campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
With this performance, she also set a new Asian Games record, surpassing her previous mark of 680 points set in Hangzhou in 2023.
Fellow Indian archer Payal Nag also put up an impressive performance, scoring 675 points to finish joint fifth in the qualification standings. She recorded 12 Xs and 20 10s, scoring 334 points in the first half and improving to 341 in the second half.
With their performances, Sheetal Devi and Payal topped the Para compound women's doubles ranking round with a combined score of 1,379 points, of which Sheetal contributed 704 points, while Payal scored 675.
Meanwhile, in the men's compound archery ranking round, India's Harvinder Singh finished fifth with a score of 631 points. He recorded eight Xs and 13 10s, scoring 310 points in the first half and improving to 321 in the second half.
Vijay Sundi finished seventh with a score of 630 points, recording six Xs and 13 10s. He scored 318 points in the first half and 312 in the second half.