Mona Agarwal

Mona Agarwal
Agarwal in September 2024
Personal information
Born (1987-11-08) 8 November 1987
Sikar, Rajasthan
Sport
Country India
SportPara-shooting
Medal record
Representing  India
Women's Air Rifle Para Shooting SH1
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 0 0 1
Para World Cup 1 1 0
Total 1 1 1
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Women's 10 m SH1
WSPS World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2024 New Dehli Women's 10 m
Silver medal – second place 2025 Changwon Women's 10 m

Mona Agarwal (born 8 November 1987)[1] 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.[2] She won a quota place for the Paris Paralympics winning gold at the WSPS Para Shooting World Cup at New Delhi in March 2024.[3] She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[4]

Early life

Agarwal was 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.[2] She shifted to Jaipur after marriage.[5] 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.[5] She has two children.

Career

Agarwal made her international debut at the World Cup in Osijek, Croatia in July 2023.[5] In March 2024, she won a gold medal at the World Cup in New Delhi.[6] She won another gold at the Para World Cup in Changwon, Korea in April 2024.[7] In May 2025, she won a silver medal at the Para World Cup in Changwon.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Meet Mona Agarwal, the polio-stricken athlete and mother of two who won shooting bronze at Paralympics". Firstpost. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b PTI (9 March 2024). "Para Shooting World Cup: Athlete-turned-shooter Mona Agarwal claims gold in 10m air rifle event, aims more glory". Sportstar. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Para shooter Mona Agarwal wins 10m air rifle gold, clinches Paris Paralympic quota for India". The Times of India. 9 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Once mocked for being girl child and polio-stricken, Mona Agarwal is now a Paralympics medallist". The Indian Express. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Para shooter Mona Agarwal turns adversity into her biggest strength". Indianshooting. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  6. ^ Sharma, Priyanka (9 March 2024). "New Delhi 2024: Agarwal delivers gold, Paris 2024 quota for hosts". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  7. ^ PTI. "Funds to buy new wheelchair hindering champion para shooter Mona Agarwal's Paralympic preparation". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  8. ^ Sharma, Nitin (1 June 2025). "Mona Agarwal defies a strong field to win silver at the Para Shooting World Cup". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved 22 November 2025.