Rubina Francis delivered a standout performance at the Paris Paralympics 2024 securing a Bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Pistol event. With this achievement, she has taken India’s medal count of to five, solidifying her place as one of the country’s top athletes.
Rubina Francis Bronze adds to India’s remarkable run at the Paralympics, following Avani Lekhara’s successful defense of her 10m air rifle gold and Mona Agarwal’s Bronze in the same event, highlighting the nation’s dominance in shooting sports.
Who is Rubina Francis ?
Rubina Francis is a indian para pistal shooter. She is from Jabalpur, Madhyapradesh. Rubina Francis was born into a lower middle class family with a leg dysfunction. Due to financial limitations, her father, Simon Francis, a mechanic, found it difficult to encourage her developing passion of shooting.
Rubina Francis journey :
In 2015, Rubina Francis began up shooting as a hobby after becoming impressed by the achievements of Olympic shooter Gagan Narang. Despite the financial obstacles, her determination and her father’s continuous efforts led her to Pune’s Gun for Glory Academy in 2017.
Rubina Francis’s talent became noticeable very early under the guidance of Jai Prakash Nautiyal, and she was chosen to attend the MP Shooting Academy. There, she developed her skills under the guidance of famous coach Jaspal Rana and won her first medal at an international competition.
Rubina Francis’s career took a drastic change during the 2018 France World Cup when she realized how important it was to achieve a Paralympic quota. This understanding motivated her to step up her training. Rubina Francis’s shooting skills improved under the knowledgeable guidance of Chief Coach Subhash Rana at Purnatva Academy of Sports Shooting in 2019, when the school saw her potential. She continued on to break world records and won multiple medals at the national and international levels.
Her most significant achievement was winning the Paralympic Quota in the P2 category at the Lima 2021 World Cup, which opened the door for her to represent India in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021. Rubina Francis’s story, as the first woman to shoot a pistol in India, is an inspiration to determination, willpower, and the ability of sport to overcome difficulties.
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Paris Paralympics 2024 :
In the women’s air pistol SH1 competition on Saturday at the Paralympics in Paris, shooter Rubina Francis added a bronze medal to India’s already outstanding medal total in the sport. Rubina qualified in seventh place earlier in the day and finished third in the eight-woman final with a total of 211.1 points.
Her bronze comes after Mona Agarwal’s bronze and Avani Lekhara‘s historic defense of her women’s 10m air rifle gold on Friday. Manish Narwal, who won a silver in the men’s 10m air pistol (SH1), further increased India’s medal total. Depending on their skills, participants in the SH1 class compete by shooting from either a standing or sitting position.
This is India’s fourth medal in shooting and fifth overall at the Paris Paralympics. Rubina’s involvement with the sport began in 2015, motivated by her respect for Olympic shooter Gagan Narang. Despite financial issues, her determination led her to Pune’s Gun for Glory Academy in 2017, where she received constant support from her father, according to an Indian Express profile of the paralympian.
Rubina Francis achievements :
Paralympics Games (2020) – 7th place (P2 – 10m Air Pistol)
Asian Para Games (2022) – Bronze Medal (P2 – 10m Air Pistol)
Osijek World Cup (2023) – Silver Medal (P2 – 10m Air Pistol) & Bronze Medal (P5 – Mixed 10m Air Pistol)
Changwon World Cup (2023) – 2 Silver Medals (P2 (Team) – 10m Air Pistol & P5 – Mixed 10m Air Pistol) and Bronze Medal (P2 – 10m Air Pistol)
Changwon World Cup (2022) – Silver Medal (P2 (Team) – 10m Air Pistol) & 2 Bronze Medals (P2 – 10m Air Pistol & P6 Mixed Team.
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