Asian Para Games: Sheetal Devi, Toman Kumar win compound mixed team gold

 Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar struck gold with a commanding display in the compound mixed team event, while Swati Chaudhary scripted history by winning India's first ever W1 medal with her women's individual silver at the Asian Para Games' archery competition here on Thursday.

Sheetal and Toman's top finish was India's first gold in archery at the ongoing Games, following a silver in the women's compound doubles event, in which the armless Sheetal partnered quadruple amputee Payal Nag.

Thursday's gold was Sheetal's second successive in mixed team, having won the title alongside Rakesh Kumar on her Games debut at the 2023 Hangzhou edition.

The reigning world champions in their respective individual categories, Sheetal and Toman produced an improved show in the final to defeat Indonesia's Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferelly and Ken Swagumilang 151-148.

The top seeds, who shattered the world record in qualification by two points, edged ahead 38-37 in the opening end before extending their advantage to 77-73 in the second, dropping just one point.

The Indonesians clawed back by a point in the third end, but the Indians retained a three-point cushion. Both pairs scored 38 in the final end, but India sealed the gold thanks to their established lead.

Sheetal and Toman had survived a major scare in the semifinal against Chinese Taipei, where Toman's final arrow missed the scoring zone to register a zero.

The Chinese Taipei pair of Lee Yun-Hsien and Yang Jyun-Kai capitalised on the opening but could not overturn India's advantage, as Sheetal and Toman scraped through 142-141.

Born without arms, world No. 1 Sheetal uses her feet and legs to position the compound bow and her shoulder and jaw to draw and release the string.

Her remarkable accuracy proved decisive in the semifinal, where she dropped just three points across eight arrows, keeping India firmly in contention despite Toman's misfire.

A serving CRPF constable and a former CoBRA commando from Nawagaon village in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, the 31-year-old Toman has risen to become the world's No. 1 para archer in the men's compound category after overcoming a life-changing injury sustained during an anti-Maoist operation.

Toman lost his left leg in an IED blast during a joint search operation against Maoists in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district in February 2022. Critically injured in the explosion triggered by a device planted by insurgents, he underwent an amputation.

After taking up para archery, Toman rose through the ranks to become world champion in 2025 and reach the top of the world rankings in the men's compound category.

Swati's historic W1 silver

Earlier, Swati became India's first ever medallist in the W1 category after losing 4-6 to China's Cen Mengkan in the women's individual final.

The top-seeded Indian, who won bronze at the World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad last month, squandered a 4-2 lead in a final of fluctuating fortunes.

She won the opening set 25-17 after Cen misfired with one of her arrows, but the Chinese fought back to take the second 22-21 and level the contest at 2-2.

Swati regained the lead by edging the third set 22-21.

However, the world No. 23 Chinese archer turned the contest around with a 30-20 win in the fourth set, firing three 10s to level the match at 4-4.

With the title on the line, Cen held her nerve in the decider, scoring 28 to Swati's 21 to complete the comeback and claim her maiden Asian Para Games gold.

The W1 classification is for archers with significant impairments affecting both the upper and lower limbs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)