&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Meet 18-year-old armless archer Sheetal Devi, who won gold medal at Para World Archery Championships")
Sheetal Devi has etched her name in golden letters in Indian para-archery history after clinching the women’s compound individual gold at the Para World Archery Championships on Saturday (Sep 27) in Gwangju, South Korea. The 18-year-old armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir defeated world No.1 Oznur Cure Girdi of Turkiye to become the first Indian to achieve this historic feat. Sheetal, who shoots using her feet and chin, defeated Oznur Cure Girdi with the scoreline of 146-143 in a thrilling final. With this, she not only claimed her first individual gold but also completed a memorable run at the tournament, finishing with three medals.
Sheetal wins three medals for India
Earlier, she had won bronze in the mixed compound team event with Toman Kumar, where the Indian duo edged Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham and Nathan MacQueen by 152-149. In the women’s compound open team final, Sheetal and Sarita clinched silver after a narrow 148-152 loss to Turkey.
Also read | Asia Cup 2025, Ind vs Pak Final: Is captaincy affecting Suryakumar Yadav’s batting form?
Yuvraj Singh lauds Sheetal Devi
Former Indian cricketer and 2011 ODI WC ‘Player of the Series’ winner Yuvraj Singh, in an X post, wrote, “Many congratulations, Sheetal, on inspiring a nation and showing the world that nothing is stronger than an unbreakable spirit! Born without arms and told that archery was impossible, 18-year-old Sheetal Devi trained through pain and doubt to master her craft. Today, she stands as India's first woman Para World Archery Champion, showing that courage and belief can break every barrier. Her story is a living reminder that no dream is too distant and no obstacle too great when you refuse to give up.”
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Nail-biting Gold medal match
The gold medal match against Girdi was a rematch of the 2023 Pilsen World Championships, where the Turkish archer had narrowly beaten Sheetal 140-138. This time, the Indian teenager returned favours,
The contest was a cut-throat battle as both archers tied the first end at 29-29, but Sheetal shot three perfect 10s in the second end to take a 30-27 lead. The third end was again tied at 29 each, before Sheetal managed to hold a slim advantage. A minor dip in the fourth end brought her score to 28, but she still carried a two-point lead at 116-114.
What sealed her gold medal was the fifth and final end. Under pressure, Sheetal produced an incredible 30 with three perfect arrows, holding her nerves against the world's best para-archer.
