Sheetal Devi: India's armless archer aims for Paralympic gold

Sheetal Devi, a 17-year-old para-archer at the Paris Paralympics 2024, is ready to showcase her skills on the grand stage.

Her unwavering determination and ascendency in the international arena have made her one of the favourites for a medal at the Paris Paralympics. 

The making of a champion

Sheetal's journey from a small village in Jammu and Kashmir to Paris is nothing short of a spectacular journey. 

Born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder, Sheetal never let her limitations stop her from enjoying her childhood.

It was in 2021 when Sheetal caught the attention of the Indian Army, who introduced her to archery. 

Initially, Sheetal practised with prosthetic arms. She was inspired by Matt Stutzman, an armless archer from the USA who shot with his legs and won a silver medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.

Despite being a specially-abled athlete, Sheetal took part in the 2022 National Para-Archery Championships, which was the turning point for her career.

In 2023, she clinched a silver medal at the World Championships and followed that up with a much brighter performance at the 2023 Para-Asian Games in Hangzhou where she won two gold and a silver medal. 

Sheetal Devi claimed the World No. 1 spot following her sterling performances in the Worlds and Para-Asiad. Later that year, World Archery conferred the Best Women's Para Archer for the Year award on Sheetal. 

Sheetal vs the rest of the world

Sheetal Devi headed to the Paris Paralympics as the world’s first and only active female archer without arms.

She is one of India's biggest medal hopes at the Paralympics. 

A compound archer, Sheetal, has recently clinched a bronze medal at the Para-Archery World Ranking Event, Czechia in June. She missed the final by a whisker during the shoot-off against Great Britain's Jodie Grinham. 

Sheetal Devi has a personal best qualification score of 689 while Phoebe Paterson Pine holds the world record (698). Both Sheetal and reigning Paralympic champion Phoebe will compete at the Paris Paralympics.

There is another British archer in the fray. Jodie Grinham has recently beaten Sheetal in the ranking event.

Korea’s Jeong Jin Young, China’s Lin Yueshan, Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferelly, and India’s Sarita Adhana will be the other medal contenders who will throw a tough challenge to Sheetal during her event which begins on August 29.