16-year-old armless archer from J&K scripts history, wins 3 gold medals at Asian Para Games

16-year-old Sheetal Devi was the star in Hangzhou. Using her legs to aim and shoot the arrow, the Indian archer has been in sensational form, winning two Gold medals and a silver at the Asian Para Games. The teen sensation  showcased the composure of a veteran archer as she came up with six consecutive ten rings in the last two rounds at the final to come back from behind and win her country another Gold medal. Hailing from Loidhar village in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, Sheetal is the ‘first female archer without arms to compete internationally’, per the sport’s governing body - World Archery. Having won a silver in the women’s compound earlier, Sheetal won two medals in the mixed doubles and women’s individual category. On Friday (Oct 27), Sheetal clinched the gold medal in the women’s compound final, beating Alim Nur Syahidah of Singapore by shooting six consecutive ten rings in the last two rounds.

Discovered at a military camp in a remote part of Kishtwar and adopted by the Indian Army in her childhood, Sheetal, who became the first armless woman to win a Para World Archery Championships medal in July, defeated Singapore's Alim Nur Syahidah 144-142 in the gold medal match. India's medal rush continued on the penultimate day of competitions as the country's tally swelled to 94 medals with shuttlers contributing with nine medals. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, congratulated Sheetal for clinching a gold medal in archery at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games today. The Prime Minister posted on X: ''Proud of Sheetal Devi on her extraordinary Gold Medal in Archery Women's Individual Compound open event at the Asian Para Games. This achievement is a testament to her grit and determination.. Born with Phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder that causes under-developed limbs, Sheetal defied all odds to stand tall on her feet, making India proud internationally.

This is Inspiring and INSANEpic.twitter.com/WSe3vtp9XO

— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) October 27, 2023

Proud of Sheetal Devi on her extraordinary Gold Medal in Archery Women's Individual Compound open event at the Asian Para Games. This achievement is a testament to her grit and determination. pic.twitter.com/4JtbxrmPY2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2023