Rubina Francis is an Indian Paralympic athlete. She is a shooter who won bronze medal in Paralympics 2024 in Women’s 10m air pistol SH1. Her point table at the end of the game showed 211.1 points. Rubina followed her dreams and her idol Indian sports shooter Gagan Narang to win a medal for India at the biggest athletics stage. Gagan congratulated Rubina on her win. Rubina, a 25-year-old Paralympics shooter, hails from Madhya Pradesh and her father is a bike mechanic.
What Does Rubina Suffer From?
Rubina Francis was born with talipes, also known as club foot. This condition made it very difficult for her to stand straight and steady to shoot at the target. But she and her coaches worked really hard to accomplish her dream of getting a medal for India and proudly so, Rubina did achieve a bronze medal for India.
Rubina’s Father’s Reaction
Simon Francis, Rubina’s father and a bike mechanic by profession told in an interview that they all are very happy. He said not just the family, but whole Jabalpur and India are happy and proud. Simon said that their close family members are celebrating right now but when Rubina returns, they will plan a grand celebration for her win. Simon, while talking about Rubina’s condition said that Rubina tells them that she has learnt not to think about the pain. Rubina is blessed with a supportive father. Simon said that he used to wait for hours during Rubina’s practice sessions because he couldn’t afford to commute two times to her academy.
Rubina’s Coach’s Views
Rubina’s coach – JP Nautiyal in an interview said that as Rubina wasn’t able to stand steady, they tried to make her shoot while sitting but that could not be perfect. He said that they got her special shoes which helped her stand with balance. This helped her achieve the first step of shooting with a steady stance.
About Indian Athletes at Paralympics
India is currently at 22nd position on the point table. The country has gained five medals in total. Avani Lekhara, an Indian sports shooter won the first gold medal in Paralympics 2024 for India in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1. Manish Narwal, an Indian sports shooter won a silver medal in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1. Mona Agarwal won a bronze medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1. Preethi Pal, an Indian athlete won a bronze medal in the track event called Women’s 100m T35. Rubina Francis, an Indian sports shooter won a bronze medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1.