In the Paralympics 2024, the Indian duo of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar registered a remarkable victory in the bronze medal match against Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina in the mixed team compound archery event.
Asian Para Games gold medalist and Arjuna Awardee archer Sheetal Devi is one of India’s top most inspiring sportspersons. The 17-year archer from Jammu district was born with Phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder.
She is the world’s first and only active female archer to compete without arms. Currently, Sheetal Devi is ranked first in the world in the compound open women’s category. Para-archer Sheetal Devi also received the prestigious Arjuna Award 2023 from President Droupadi Murmu. In 2023, she won a silver at the Para-Archery World Championship, which helped to get her ticket for the Paris Paralympics Games.
Born in a small village to a farming family, Devi had not seen a bow and arrow till she was 15. Within just four months of starting out her training, she began to use a proper bow and hit targets at a 50m distance.
Sheetal Devi, has made heads turn with her exemplary skill and performance in the Paris Paralympics 2024. Though she couldn’t get a medal in the individual event but her sheer accuracy despite the challenges, has made her a winner in the eyes of millions.
