Armless archer Sheetal Devi wins Asian Paralympic's Best Youth Athlete award

Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi has been adjudged the Best Youth Athlete at the Asian Paralympic Committee's award ceremony in Riyadh on Saturday.

Sheetal became an overnight sensation following her magnificent performance at the Asian Para Games.

The 16-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir became the first-ever Indian woman to win two gold medals in the same edition of Asian Para Games 2023.

According to the sport's governing body, World Archery, Sheetal Devi is the first female archer without arms to compete internationally. Sheetal won a total of three medals at the Asian Para Games: gold in women's individual, gold in the compound mixed team event, and women's doubles silver.

Born with Phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder characterised by the underdevelopment or absence of limbs, particularly the arms or legs, Sheetal was undeterred by her condition.

The condition meant that Sheetal was unable to do any sporting activities but she would climb trees for her pastime using her legs and upper body. Eventually, her upper body strength is something that helps her during the archery matches.

However, Sheetal showed tremendous greet and determination to achieve the feat in China.

She held and balanced the bow, weighing 28 kg, with her right leg and pulled the string using a manual releaser which was attached to her shoulder. She used a device called the trigger which was held in her mouth to direct the arrow at the target 50 meters away.

With the Paralympics less than one year away, Sheetal will be motivated by these awards to achieve greater success.