Tokyo, Aug 30 (IANS): India's Avani Lekhara won the first gold medal for the country at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in Women's 10m Air Rifle SH1 with a world record score of 249.6 in the elimination round on Monday.

The 19-year-old Avani, who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car accident in 2012, qualified seventh for the final but shot superbly to leapfrog to the top in the final.

China's Zhang Cuiping took silver,as she did in Rio 2016, with a score of 248.9 while Ukraine's Iryna Schetnik finished with a total of 227.5 for bronze.

Avani Lekhara (left) and Yogesh Kathuniya

Meanwhile, Yogesh Kathuniya of India won a silver medal in the men's discus throw F56, finishing second with a distance of 44.38 in the final at the Tokyo Paralympic Games here on Monday.

Brazil's Santos doe Claudiney Batista bagged the gold with a new Paralympic Games record of 45.59 while Cuba's Leonardo Alandana Diaz took bronze with a best throw of 43.36.

Kathuniya, the 24-year-old from Delhi who suffered a paralytic attack at the age of eight which resulted in impaired coordination in his limbs, was in gold medal position till Batista achieved 44.57 in his first throw as the seventh athlete in order of throws.

In Standing or Seated Discus Throw, each participant makes all his/her six throws at one go before the next participant in the order gets his chance.

The Brazilian produced his best effort of 45.59 in his sixth and last throw to set a Paralympic Games record.

Kathuniya, who achieved his season's best on Monday had to be satisfied with silver as the Brazilian is the world record holder in this category with a best of 46.58.

India's has bagged five medals at the Tokyo Paralympic Games so far.