Two golds in hours: Sheetal Devi scripts another golden chapter at Asian Para Games
Armless Indian archer Sheetal Devi barely had time to savour her first gold medal of the day before returning to the range to win another. The 19-year-old produced a stunning comeback to clinch the women’s compound individual title at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Thursday, beating Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in a tense final.
Less than two hours after teaming up with Toman Kumar to win the compound mixed team gold, Sheetal was back in action at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. The world champion once again proved her ability to deliver under pressure, overturning a four-point deficit to secure her second gold of the Games and third medal overall.
Asian Para Games 2026, October 22: Updates
FOUR-POINT COMEBACK
The victory was particularly significant as it came in a repeat of the Hangzhou 2023 final, where Sheetal had also defeated Alim to win the individual gold. The Indian has now successfully defended her title, underlining her dominance in the women’s compound event.
The final, however, was far from straightforward.
Alim made an impressive start, building a four-point advantage after the opening two ends of six arrows each. With the Singaporean archer threatening to take control of the contest, Sheetal needed a response to keep her hopes of another gold alive.
And the Indian delivered in spectacular fashion.
Sheetal reeled off six 10s across the next two ends, including three Xs, which are arrows that land closest to the centre of the target. Her remarkable scoring run turned the contest around, allowing her to establish a two-point lead heading into the final end.
With the title on the line, Sheetal held her nerve and shot three 9s to finish with 27 points in the final end. Alim, needing a strong finish to overturn the deficit, managed scores of 9, 8 and 9 for 26 points.
That was enough for Sheetal to seal a memorable victory and add another gold to her growing collection.
ANOTHER GOLDEN DOUBLE
Born without arms, Sheetal has become one of India’s most remarkable sporting talents. She uses her feet and legs to position her compound bow, while relying on her shoulder and jaw to draw and release the string. Her achievements have established her among the leading names in international para archery, with the world No. 1 continuing to deliver on the biggest stages.
The individual gold was Sheetal’s third medal at the ongoing Games. Besides her two golds on Thursday, she has also won silver in the women’s doubles compound event alongside Odisha’s Payal Nag, who is a quadruple amputee.
Sheetal had enjoyed a similarly successful outing at the 2022 edition, winning gold in both the individual and mixed team events, along with silver in the women’s doubles compound competition.
Four years later, she has once again demonstrated her ability to rise to the occasion. Two gold medals in a matter of hours, capped by a comeback victory in the individual final, have made Thursday another landmark day in Sheetal’s remarkable archery journey.
– Ends
