Sheetal Devi: India's inspiring para archery star
Indian para-athlete Sheetal Devi secured a direct spot in the round of 16 at the Paris Paralympics in the women's individual compound open archery event. She earned this entry after an impressive ranking round performance, scoring 703 out of 720, which placed her in second position.
Devi's score of 703 surpassed the previous world record of 698, set earlier by Great Britain's Phoebe Pine Paterson. However, Turkey's Oznur Girdi Cure set a new record with a score of 704, placing Devi in second.
As one of the top four finishers in the ranking round, Devi earned a bye from the round of 32 and will proceed directly to the round of 16. Her upcoming opponent will be determined by the match between Chile's Mariana Zuniga and Korea's Choi Na Mi.
Sheetal Devi, a 17-year-old born with phocomelia, is aiming for a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. Despite being born without arms, Devi uses her legs, shoulder, and jaw to shoot arrows, ranking first globally in the compound open women's category.
Devi's journey began in 2022 at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sports complex in Katra, where she met her coaches. Her training involved adapting her strength and technique, progressing quickly from using a TheraBand to competing at a 50m distance.
Devi's debut season in archery has been marked by significant achievements, including a silver medal at the World Archery Para Championships 2023 and gold at the Asian Para Games 2023. She also secured a silver medal at the Khelo India NTPC National Ranking archery meet in 2024.
