Para-Archery's Rising Star: Sheetal Devi

Transcript

00:00This 18-year-old para-archer Shreetal Devi made history on September 27, 2025 by winning gold

00:05in the Women's Individual Compound Event at the World Para-Archery Championship in Gwangju,

00:09South Korea. Born in 2007 in Loidhar, Kishtawad, Jammu in Kashmir, Shreetal was born without arms

00:14due to phocomeria, a rare congenital condition. Despite this, she defied all odds to become the

00:19first and only female para-archery champion competing without upper limbs. Her journey

00:24began when the Indian Army's Rashtri rifle spotted her potential in 2019 during a local event.

00:28She began training seriously in 2022 and just months later, surprised everyone by winning gold

00:33at the Asian Para Games and bronze at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. At 16, she earned the prestigious

00:39Arjuna Award, becoming the youngest para-archer to do so. Competing against the world's best,

00:44Shreetal avenged her 2023 defeat by defeating Turkish Paralympian Osnur Kuregerdi with a

00:49thrilling score of 146-143 to claim the Women's Compound Individual World Title. The two had

00:54faced each other in the final of the 2023 World Para-Archery Championship in Pilsen,

00:58where Girdi narrowly won. Shreetal's remarkable achievements at the 2025 World Championships

01:02include gold in the individual compound, silver in the Women's Open Team event and bronze in

01:07mixed team competition. Prominent figures like cricketer Yavrat Singh, former cricketer VVS

01:11Lakshman and Anand Mahindra congratulated the para-archer, calling her an inspiration. She

01:16is not only a symbol of resilience and strength, but also an inspiration for disabled and rural

01:21athletes across India. No.