New Delhi: Para-archer Sheetal Devi, the world compound champion born without arms, achieved another milestone on Thursday by earning a place in India’s able-bodied junior archery team for the upcoming Asia Cup Stage 3 in Jeddah.
Her selection marks a historic first — the inclusion of a para-athlete in an able-bodied Indian team for an international competition.
“When I started competing, I had a small dream — to one day compete alongside the able-bodied. I didn’t make it at first, but I kept going, learning from every setback. Today, that dream is one step closer,” Sheetal shared on social media after the announcement.
A bronze medallist in the mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Sheetal has often cited inspiration from Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi, the Paris Paralympic champion who also competes in able-bodied world events.
The 18-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir impressed at the national selection trials held in Sonipat, competing against over 60 able-bodied archers under identical conditions. She finished third overall after four days of intense competition.
Sheetal scored 703 points in the qualification rounds — 352 in the first and 351 in the second — equalling top qualifier Tejal Salve’s total.
In the final rankings, Tejal Salve (15.75 points) and Vaidehi Jadhav (15 points) took the top two spots, while Sheetal secured third place with 11.75 points, narrowly surpassing Dnyaneshwari Gadadhe of Maharashtra by just 0.25 points.
Trained at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, Sheetal has already etched her name in sporting history as the first female armless world champion in para archery.
Team Selections:
Recurve:
- Men: Rampal Choudhary (AAI), Rohit Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Mayank Kumar (Haryana)
- Women: Kondapavuluri Yuktha Sri (Andhra Pradesh), Vaishnavi Kulkarni (Maharashtra), Kratika Bichpuriya (Madhya Pradesh)
Compound:
- Men: Pradhuman Yadav, Vasu Yadav, Devansh Singh (all Rajasthan)
- Women: Tejal Salve, Vaidehi Jadhav (both Maharashtra), Sheetal Devi (Jammu and Kashmir)
