Who is Sheetal Devi? All you need to know about Indian para archer at Paris 2024 Paralympics
Sheetal Devi, India's armless archer, is the first and only international para-archery champion without upper limbs. She made the cut for the Paris Paralympics 2024 after her impressive show at the World Archery Para Championships 2023 in the Czech Republic, securing a silver medal.
Sheetal was born in Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir in 2009 with Phocomelia, a rare congenital deformity in which limbs are very underdeveloped or absent.
In 2019, she was noticed by the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit when she attended a youth event in Kishtwar and eventually Army supported her education and provided medical assistance.
Coaching with the Indian Army
Army coaches Abhilasha Choudhary and Kuldeep Wadhwan decided to train Sheetal with the help of prosthetics. However, medics stated that training with prosthetics wouldn’t be possible in her case.
Nevertheless, coaches were pleasantly surprised when Sheetal informed them that she was fond of and had expertize in climbing trees using her legs. After extensive research, they came to know about Matt Stutzman, the armless archer who won a silver medal at the London Paralympics in 2012.
Sheetal Devi's rise to prominence
Within 11 months of extensive training, Sheetal Devi competed at the Asian Para Games in 2023. In the 2023 season, she bagged gold medal wins at the Asian Para Games in the individual compound and mixed team events. She also won a silver medal in the women’s doubles competition.
Later, she concluded the season claiming the No. 1 rank in the para compound archers rankings. She secured another gold medal at the Khelo India Para Games 2023 in the compound open category in New Delhi.
Earlier this year, Sheetal Devi went on to clinch a silver medal at the Khelo India NTPC National Ranking Archery Meet. Additionally, she bagged a gold medal in the women’s compound team event at the Para Archery Ranking Series in Czechia.
She went on to win the Best Youth Athlete of the Year award by the Asian Paralympic Committee in 2023. She was also awarded the Arjuna Award in the same year by the Government of India.