Rubina Francis claimed India's fourth medal from the shooting range, displaying tremendous calm and composure in a high-class field to secure the bronze medal in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday.
Competing in a high-caliber field that included the defending champion and world record holder, 25-year-old Rubina held her own with a total score of 211.1 to take third place in the eight-woman final.
She had qualified for the final in seventh place in the qualifying round earlier that day.
Iran's Javanmardi Sareh won her third consecutive Paralympic gold medal with a total score of 236.8, while Turkish world record holder Ozgan Aysel took silver with 231.1 in a tough contest between the two favorites.
Rubina's medal was India's fourth in shooting and fifth overall at the Paris Paralympics. She is India's first pistol shooter to win a Paralympics medal.
“At the beginning of the qualification I was nervous. It was difficult, things were not going the way I wanted. I spoke to my coach and before the final he reminded me what I had to do. He advised me not to think about the result, the medal or what people will say. He said: 'Do it for yourself', that worked very well for me and I achieved the result,” she said.
When asked what her message to the athletes was, she replied: “Follow your dreams, keep going, even if you have to fight for them. You can do it. Don't give up. Believe in yourself.” A few days before the athletes left for the French capital, Rubina had secured the quota for the Paralympics in Paris under the wildcard rule.
In the SH1 class, athletes can hold their weapon without difficulty and shoot while standing or sitting in a wheelchair or chair.
Born with club feet, Rubina, the daughter of a mechanic from Jabalpur in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, took up the sport inspired by her admiration for the Olympic achievements of legendary Indian shooter Gagan Narang.
Her story is an example of resilience, determination and the transformative power of sport in overcoming adversity.
For her, it was the second Paralympics after she finished seventh in the final in Tokyo three years ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Rubina's performance, which earned him the bronze medal.
“Another proud moment for India as @Rubina_PLY wins bronze in the P2 – Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event at #Paralympics2024. Her exceptional focus, determination and perseverance have yielded outstanding results,” Modi tweeted. Rubina was consistent throughout the final. At the end of the first of ten shots, she was third with 97.6, with Ozgan leading with 99.5.
The Indian briefly slipped to fourth place at the end of the 14th shot. However, she recovered and returned to third place in the next series of two shots.
On Friday, Avani Lekhara made history by successfully defending her gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle shooting event that she won at the Tokyo Paralympics. Her compatriot Mona Agarwal won the bronze medal.
Manish Narwal then added a silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol shooting (SH1).
In the qualifying round, Rubina was behind the top eight shooters for most of the time but eventually picked up speed and sneaked into the medal round. After the first series of 10 shots in the qualifying round, she was ranked 14th but gradually improved and secured a place in the final of eight shooters with a score of 556 points.
Born into a lower-middle-class family, Rubina also struggled with a leg dysfunction. Her father Simon, originally a mechanic, struggled to support her growing passion for shooting due to financial constraints.
Her shooting career began in 2015 when her determination and her father’s tireless efforts led her to the Gun for Glory Academy founded by Gagan Narang in 2017.
Under the guidance of Jai Prakash Nautiyal and Subhash Rana, she made rapid progress and was selected at the MP Shooting Academy.
At the MP Shooting Academy, her skills flourished. She won a gold medal at the 2022 World Para Shooting Championships in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. She also won bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
(With contributions from agencies.)
