Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi wins three Asian Para Games medals again.
NEW DELHI: Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi once again proved her mettle on the biggest continental stage, winning two gold medals at the Asian Para Games for the second consecutive edition after clinching the women's individual compound title on Thursday.The 19-year-old armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir produced a stunning comeback to defeat Singapore's Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in the final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, successfully defending the individual title she won in Hangzhou in 2023.
The victory completed a memorable double-gold day for Sheetal, who had teamed up with Toman Kumar to win the compound mixed team gold earlier in the day.
She also secured a silver medal in the women's compound doubles event alongside Odisha's quadruple amputee archer Payal Nag.With three medals — two golds and a silver — Sheetal has replicated her medal tally from the 2023 Asian Para Games, where she also won two gold medals and a silver to announce herself as one of India's brightest para-sporting talents.
Sheetal turns the tide to defend individual crown
Sheetal had to dig deep to retain her individual crown, with Alim initially putting the Indian under pressure in their gold medal clash.
The Singaporean archer established a four-point advantage after the opening two ends, leaving Sheetal with plenty of work to do. However, the Indian mounted an extraordinary recovery, firing six 10s, including three Xs — arrows landing closest to the centre of the target — across the next two ends.The remarkable sequence helped Sheetal overturn the deficit and take a two-point lead into the final end, setting up a tense finish.With the gold medal on the line, Sheetal maintained her composure, scoring three 9s for 27 points in the final end. Alim, meanwhile, managed scores of 9, 8 and 9 for 26 points, allowing the Indian to seal a 142-139 victory.The triumph was particularly significant as it came less than a couple of hours after Sheetal had won the mixed team gold with Toman, underlining her ability to deliver under pressure across multiple events.
Three medals again, just like Hangzhou
Sheetal's campaign in 2026 has followed a familiar pattern from her breakthrough performance at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.At the previous edition, she won gold in the women's individual compound event and the compound mixed team competition alongside Rakesh Kumar. She also claimed silver in the women's team event with Sarita.
Three years later, Sheetal repeated that medal-winning feat, this time collecting individual and mixed team gold medals alongside a silver with Payal Nag in the women's compound doubles.The Indian duo had topped the ranking round in the doubles event but lost 141-150 to China's Xueqing Xu and Jing Zhao in the final on Wednesday.Sheetal's latest triumph further strengthens her reputation as a leading figure in Indian para-archery. Having already made history in Hangzhou by becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games, she has now successfully repeated the feat in 2026.At just 19, Sheetal continues to turn extraordinary personal determination into landmark sporting achievements, delivering another golden chapter for India on the para-sporting stage.