Asian Para Games 2026: Sheetal Devi eyes another golden campaign in Aichi-Nagoya

Sheetal Devi has never permitted her disability to limit what she can achieve and has always fought back against her struggles to become one of the elite in Indian sports.

The 19-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of India’s most prominent para-archers and now returns to the continental stage in Aichi-Nagoya, aiming to defend her titles.

She claimed her first individual world title in 2025, and then continued her good form on the international circuit and also set a new mixed-team world record in the qualification round alongside Rakesh Kumar.

How it all started

Born on January 10, 2007, in Loidhar village in Kishtwar, Sheetal was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital condition that left her arms underdeveloped.

As a child, she enjoyed climbing trees, an activity that helped her develop the physical strength that would later prove useful for her career in archery.

Her sporting journey took a new direction in 2021, when she was spotted by the Indian Army's Rashtriya Rifles unit at a youth event in Kishtwar.

She was subsequently introduced to archery and joined the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sports complex in Katra, where Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Vedwan helped her learn the sport.

Having never handled a bow and arrow before, Sheetal developed a specialised technique using her feet, shoulder and jaw to shoot.

She soon began competing at national competitions, including events against able-bodied archers, before making her mark internationally.

The making of a world champion

Sheetal Devi first caught attention at her first international event, the Nove Mesto Para Archery Cup in Czechia, where she won a silver medal.

She continued her form and won an individual silver medal at her debut World Archery Para Championships in the same year and became the first female armless archer to win a medal at this competition.

Later that year, she won two gold medals at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, finishing on top in the women's individual compound and mixed team events.

She also secured silver in women's doubles and rose to world No. 1 in her category. She then won a gold at the inaugural Khelo India Para Games and received the Arjuna Award for her achievements.

At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Sheetal finished second in the individual ranking round with a score of 703 out of 720, but was not able to win a medal, exiting in R16.

She, however, won bronze in the mixed team event alongside Rakesh Kumar, with the Indian pair defeating Italy 156-155 in the bronze medal match.

Sheetal continued her strong run to win her first world title at the 2025 World Para Archery Championships in Gwangju.

She defeated three-time world champion Öznur Cüre Girdi 146-143 to win gold in the women's individual compound open event. She also won silver in the women's team event and bronze in the mixed team competition. 

This year, she also partnered Rakesh Kumar to set a world record of 1,400/1440 points in mixed team qualifying before winning the individual title, defeating Kazakhstan's Aizada Seidan in a shoot-off. 

Sheetal targets a hat-trick in Japan?

Sheetal will head to Aichi-Nagoya looking to defend her women's individual compound and mixed team titles from the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. 

But she will also be hoping to complete a hat-trick of golds, which she missed last time and secure the women's doubles gold medal with Payal Nag.

However, Sheetal will have to be at her best as she will face challenges, starting with competition from her Indian compatriot Payal Nag, who defeated her at the 2026 World Archery Para Series in Bangkok.

International rivals such as Kazakhstan's Aizada Seidan and archers from China and Thailand could also pose a challenge, and defending the titles will be no easy task.