Chateauroux 2022 World Cup: Ramakrishna joins Lekhara in clinching gold, Paris 2024 quota
New Delhi (PTI): Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna has become the second Indian para shooter to earn a quota for the Paris Paralympics after securing a gold medal in mixed 10m air rifle SH2 at the ongoing Chateauroux Para Shooting World Cup.
Ramakrishna produced a final score of 253.1 to claim the yellow metal, while Slovakia's Francek Tirsek (252.6) and Tanguy De La Forest (230.3) bagged the silver and bronze.
Ramakrishna thus followed the extraordinary show of Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Avani Lekhara, who set a new world record en route clinching the gold medal on the opening day of the event.
In the R2 - women's 10m air rifle standing finals, Lekhara, the 20-year-old from Rajasthan, shot a final score of 250.6 to break her own world record of 249.6 and take the gold ahead of Poland's Emilia Babska (247.6) and Anna Normann of Sweden (225.6).
"This event is very important for me as it is the first event after Tokyo. It will help me understand the progress that I've made on various aspects that I have been working on since then," Lekhara told the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
"It is also my first international event with my new equipment and this will help me analyse my game further and know further adjustments that need to be made!
Lekhara, the two-time Tokyo 2020 medallist, said her "target for the year is to consistently analyse my game and improve the little bits."
"To be a consistent shooter is my aim and hopefully win medals along the way too."
India has been represented by 13 para shooters at this season opening World Cup in Chateauroux, France.
On Wednesday, Paralympic medallist Manish Narwal and Singhraj Adhana would be in action in the P6 10m air pistol mixed team event.
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National Synodal Assembly 2026 begins in Bengaluru with over 220 delegates
Bengaluru: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) on May 1 inaugurated its National Synodal Assembly 2026 at St. John’s Medical College, bringing together more than 220 delegates from across the country under the theme Synodal Pilgrims of Hope.
The assembly is part of the global synodal process initiated in 2021 by Pope Francis, which calls for greater participation, dialogue and shared responsibility within the Church. In India, the process has involved consultations at diocesan, regional and national levels.
Participants at the assembly include two Cardinals, 25 Bishops, 65 priests, more than 20 women religious, and over 100 lay faithful, including youth and women leaders.
The gathering began with a Eucharistic celebration led by Filipe Neri Ferrão. In his homily, he described the assembly as a moment of grace and discernment and called on delegates to walk together in prayer, listening and missionary commitment.
He spoke about the importance of the Risen Christ in the mission of the Church and urged the faithful to be witnesses of the Gospel. Referring to the conversion of St Paul, he said every baptised person has a role in spreading the message of Christ. He also highlighted the example of St Joseph the Worker, stressing the dignity of labour and the call to holiness in everyday life.
The formal inauguration included the invocation of the Holy Spirit through Veni Creator Spiritus and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Deputy Secretary General Fr. Stephen Alathara welcomed the delegates and described the gathering as a spiritual journey.
In his presidential address, Cardinal Ferrão referred to the CCBI pastoral plan titled Journeying Towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033 and called on participants to build on the vision outlined at the 36th Plenary Assembly held in Bhubaneswar in 2025.
Delegates will reflect on four key themes identified from 16 pastoral priorities: interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding, inclusion of the excluded, poverty and integral ecology, and support for children and youth.
The discussions are being conducted through a method of spiritual conversation aimed at encouraging listening, dialogue and collective decision-making. The focus is on translating these discussions into practical actions within the Church.
The assembly also looks ahead to the Jubilee Year 2033, which will mark 2,000 years of the Redemption, and aims to strengthen the Church’s mission in the coming years.
Further consultations are scheduled for September 2026, with the process expected to conclude at the 38th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI in January 2027.
Organisers said the assembly seeks to strengthen unity within the Church and promote participation of all sections, including women and youth, in shaping its future direction.
