Despite missing the world record by just one point, India’s armless archer Sheetal Devi scripted history on 29 August and secured the second position in the women’s compound ranking round at the iconic Les Invaldis Arena during Paris Paralympics 2024.
She scored 703 points, which is her personal best. At 17, Sheetal is the youngest Indian para-athlete to participate in the Paralympics.
With Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi, Sheetal was involved in a tense competition but brought her A-game. Her opponent Girdi scored 704.
According to the details, the existing world record for Compound Open Para Archer was 698, which was set up by Great Britain’s Phoebe Paterson Pine in July in Oxfordshire. Earlier, British Paralympic archer Jessica Stretton had set up the old Paralympic record of 694 in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020.
Now, on 30 August, Sheetal will face the winner of the winner of the round of 32 matches between Mariana Zuniga of Chile and Choi Na Mi of Korea. Both of them had finished 15th and 18th in the ranking round. It is to be remembered that Zuniga won a silver in the women’s individual compound open in the Tokyo Paralympics 2020.
Sheetal’s achievements:
She is the only international para-archery champion without upper limits. In 2023, she qualified for her maiden Paralympics in Paris and won a silver medal at the World Archery Para Championships 2024 in the Czech Republic.
In 2023, at the Asian Para Games 2023 in China’s Hangzhou, she won a gold medal each both at the individual compound and mixed team events, reported mykhel. She also clinched a silver in the women’s double’s event.
Following this, she went to secure the top rank in the World Para Archery Compound rankings. She also bagged gold medal in the open category at the Khelo Para Games 2023 in New Delhi.
Also in the same year, she was awarded the Best Youth Athlete of the Year award by the Asian Paralympic Committee and was conferred with Arjuna Award by the Indian government.
In addition, Sheetal won a silver medal at the Khelo India NTPC National Ranking Archery Meet in 2024. She also won a gold medal in the women’s compound team event in Czechia’s Para Archery Ranking Series.