Chateauroux: Rubina Francis shot down India's fourth medal from the shooting range, showing tremendous calm and composure in a high-class field to clinch a bronze in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 event in the Paris Paralympics on Saturday.
Competing in a top-class field consisting of the defending champion and world record holder among others, the 25-year-old Rubina held her own to score a total of 211.1 for a third-place finish in the eight-woman final. She had qualified for the final at seventh spot in the qualification round earlier in the day.
Iran's Javanmardi Sareh won her third successive Paralympics gold with a total score of 236.8 while world record holder Ozgan Aysel of Turkey took the silver with 231.1 in a fierce competition between the two favourites.
Rubina's medal was India's fourth in shooting and fifth overall at the Paris Paralympics. She is India's first woman pistol shooter to win a Paralympics medal.
"There was nervousness at the start of the Qualification. It was difficult, things were not going as I wanted. I spoke to my coach and before the final he reminded me what I needed to do. He suggested me not to think about result, medal or what people will say. He said 'do it for yourself', that worked very well for me and I got the result," she said.
Asked what her message for the female athletes would be, she said, "Chase your dreams, go for it, even if you have to fight for it. You can do it,. Do not give up. Have faith in yourself."
Rubina had secured the Paris Paralympics quota under the bipartite (wildcard) rule a few days before the contingent's departure for the French capital. In SH1 class, athletes are able to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position in a wheelchair or chair.
The daughter of a mechanic in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Rubina was born clubfooted. She took up the sport, inspired by her admiration for legendary Indian shooter Gagan Narang's Olympic achievements.
Her story is an example of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of sport in overcoming adversity. She was competing in her second Paralympics, having finished seventh in the final in Tokyo three years ago.
Rubina was consistent all through the final. She was third at the end of stage 1 of 10 shots with 97.6 with Ozgan leading with 99.5. The Indian briefly slipped to fourth spot at the end of the 14th shot. But, she recovered and returned to third sport in the next series of two shots.
On Friday, Avani Lekhara had created history by successfully defending her women's 10m air rifle gold medal which she had clinched in Tokyo Paralympics, with compatriot Mona Agarwal winning the bronze. Manish Narwal then added a silver medal in the men's 10m air pistol (SH1).
In the qualification round, Rubina trailed the top-eight shooters for most part but picked up speed at the fag end to sneak into the medal round. She was placed 14th after the first series of 10 shots in the qualifying round, but gradually moved up and clinched a spot in the eight-shooter final with a score of 556.
Born into a lower-middle-class family, Rubina faced the added obstacle of leg dysfunction. Her father Simon, initially a mechanic, struggled to support her growing passion for shooting due to financial constraints.
Her shooting journey began in 2015 as her determination and her father's tireless efforts led her to Gun for Glory Academy -- founded by Gagan Narang -- in 2017.
Under the mentorship of Jai Prakash Nautiyal and Subhash Rana, she made quick progress and was selected at the MP Shooting Academy. At the MP Shooting Academy her skills flourished. She won a gold medal at the World Shooting Para Sport Championships in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates in 2022. She also won a bronze at Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
