Meet Rubina Francis, bike mechanic's daughter who overcame leg dysfunction to win bronze at Paris Paralympics

Renowned para shooter Rubina Francis secured a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol SH1 event, contributing a fifth medal to India’s total at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday. Despite finishing in 7th place in the qualifying round, she demonstrated exceptional skill in the finals, amassing a total of 211.1 points to claim India's fourth shooting medal in the ongoing Paralympic games.

Francis trailed behind Iran’s Sareh Javanmardi and Turkey’s Aysel Ozgan, who earned the gold and silver medals, respectively. She began the competition strongly, holding the second position after Stage 1 with 50 points, just 0.1 points behind Sareh. However, a slight decline in her performance during the second stage caused her to slip out of the podium position.

Who is Rubina Francis?

Rubina was born on June 25, 1999, into a middle-class family in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Early in her life, Rubina faced challenges not only due to a leg dysfunction but also because her father, Simon, a mechanic, struggled to support her growing passion for shooting due to financial constraints.

Inspired by Gagan Narang’s bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, Rubina was determined not to let these hurdles hinder her dream of becoming a world-class para-shooter. With her father's unwavering support, Rubina gained admission to Pune’s Gun for Glory Academy in 2017.

Under the guidance of coach Jai Prakash Nautiyal, Rubina's talent quickly became evident, leading her to the MP Shooting Academy. With the mentorship of renowned coach and former shooter Jaspal Rana, Rubina honed her skills and soon achieved international success.

Realizing the importance of securing a Paralympic quota during the 2018 World Cup in France, Rubina was inspired to train harder and adopt a new approach to the sport.

In 2019, Rubina joined the Purnatva Academy of Sports Shooting under the guidance of chief shooting coach Subhash Rana. Her skills flourished, resulting in medals at national and international events, as well as setting world records.

Rubina secured a quota in the P2 category for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics at the Lima World Cup in 2021. Despite finishing seventh in the finals in Tokyo, the disappointment fueled her determination, leading to a bronze finish three years later in Paris.

Achievements in recent international shooting competitions include:

- 7th place in the Paralympic Games (2020) in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event

- Bronze Medal at the Asian Para Games (2022) in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event

- Silver Medal at the Osijek World Cup (2023) in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event, as well as a Bronze Medal in the P5 – Mixed 10m Air Pistol event

- Two Silver Medals at the Changwon World Cup (2023) in the P2 (Team) - 10m Air Pistol event and the P5 – Mixed 10m Air Pistol event, along with a Bronze Medal in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event

- Silver Medal at the Changwon World Cup (2022) in the P2 (Team) - 10m Air Pistol event, as well as two Bronze Medals in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event and the P6 Mixed Team event

- Gold Medal at the Chateauroux World Cup (2022) in the P6 Mixed Team event, along with two Silver Medals in the P2 (Team) - 10m Air Pistol event and the P5 – Mixed 10m Air Pistol event, and a Bronze Medal in the P2 - 10m Air Pistol event

Also read| Rubina Francis secures India's fifth medal at Paris Paralympics, wins bronze in women's 10m air pistol SH1 event