Armless para archer Sheetal Devi ends 2023 with a gold medal in Khelo India Para Games
Sensation Para archer Sheetal Devi signed off her tremendous year with a gold medal. She won her prize in the open category of compound event at the inaugural season of the Khelo India Para Games at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, December 16.
The 16-year-old, representing Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a total of 141 points in the final to overcome the challenge from Uttar Pradesh's Jyoti Baliyan, who finished second with 138 points to claim the silver medal. Haryana's Sarita scored 137 to take the bronze medal home after defeating Delhi's Tanishka.
Sheetal Devi added the Khelo India Para Games to her already-decorated 2023 resume which includes three medals (two golds and a silver) won at the 2022 Para Asian Games in Hangzhou a couple of months ago.
The armless archer from Kishtwar district in Jammu won silver medal in the women's compound event at the World Archery Para Championship in July this year in Czech Republic to confirm a quota for the Paris Paralympics next year.
"I feel very happy to be Sheetal Devi’s escort" - Romica Sharma
Sheetal Devi's journey is an inspiring one. There are many key figures who have played their part to help her reach the World No.1 ranking in the women's para archery.
One such person is her escort Romica Sharma, a compound archer herself. Sharing the experience of escorting the world's first female armless archer, Romica said:
“I feel very happy to be Sheetal’s escort. I met her at the Nationals three years back on the request of coach Kuldeep Vedwan and from then, I started being close to her."
She added:
“I oversee her practice sessions, carry the arrows, luggages, besides supervising her stretching work as well as ensuring her scoring. Off the field also, I help in feeding her as well as speaking to her whenever she needs a helping hand.
Romanica further spoke about her relationship with Sheetal Devi and the personality of the teenager off the sport. She added:
“I feel more like a sister to her [Sheetal] even though I’m a good friend of her. “Whenever she is travelling anywhere alone, I feel anxious on how she is doing. She is a little ‘ziddi’ (persistent) as well as ‘masoom’ (innocent) and also watches a lot of serials. We are inseparable.
Sheetal was born without arms because of Phocomelia, a disorder where the limbs are absent.