Sheetal Devi, currently placed 18th in Para Compound Archery, accounted for India’s only individual medal at the World Archery Para Championships in Pilsen.
Sheetal Devi was born with phocomelia, a condition where both of her hands were undeveloped. But that did not stop her from following any of her dreams. Now, at 16, Sheetal is the first female armless archer to win a silver medal at the World Para Archery Championships.
Sheetal Devi who grips her bow with her foot, won two silver medals and a bronze medal at a Para Tournament in the Czech Republic earlier. She even secured first position at the Para Asian Games trials. At the Para Archery World Championships in Pilsen, Sheetal Devi won silver as she was defeated by Cure Oznur of Turkey 138-140 in the final.
The Indian archers finished the Championships with three medals and six quota places for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Sarita and Rakesh Kumar won India’s first-ever gold medal in the World Archery Para Championships after wining the Compound Mixed Team Open event. The Indian duo beat Brazil’s Jane Gogel and Reinaldo Ferreira 152-146 in the final.
Sarita and Jyoti also won bronze in the Compound Women’s Team event. They beat the Iranian pair of Farzaneh Asgari and Maryam Yavarpoor Shahrbabaki 147-142 in the bronze medal match.
This is India’s best-ever result at the World Archery Para Championships. India’s previous-best tally was two silver medals in Dubai in 2022.
