Media365
NEW DELHI: India’s inspirational para-archer Sheetal Devi continues to redefine the boundaries of sporting excellence. The 18-year-old world compound champion from Jammu and Kashmir, who was born without arms, achieved another historic milestone on Thursday — earning selection to the Indian able-bodied junior team for the upcoming Asia Cup Stage 3 in Jeddah.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Her inclusion marks the first time a para-athlete has been picked for an Indian able-bodied international archery competition.“When I started competing, I had a small dream — to one day compete alongside the able-bodied. I didn’t make it at first, but I kept going, learning from every setback. Today, that dream is one step closer,” Sheetal wrote on social media after her selection.Sheetal, who clinched a bronze medal in the mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, has often spoken about drawing inspiration from Turkey’s Paralympic champion Oznur Cure Girdi, who also competes in able-bodied events globally.
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What does Sheetal Devi’s accomplishment represent for the para-athlete community?
During the four-day national selection trials in Sonipat, Sheetal competed alongside over 60 able-bodied archers under identical conditions — and held her own in style. She scored 703 points in qualification (352 in the first round and 351 in the second), matching top qualifier Tejal Salve’s total.In the final standings, Tejal (15.75 points) finished first, followed by Vaidehi Jadhav (15), while Sheetal grabbed third place with 11.75 points, edging Maharashtra’s Dnyaneshwari Gadadhe by just 0.25 points.Sheetal has already made global headlines this year by becoming the first female armless world champion in para archery.Team India for Asia CupRecurve:
- Men: Rampal Choudhary (AAI), Rohit Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Mayank Kumar (Haryana)
- Women: Kondapavuluri Yuktha Sri (Andhra Pradesh), Vaishnavi Kulkarni (Maharashtra), Kratika Bichpuriya (Madhya Pradesh).
Compound:
- Men: Pradhuman Yadav, Vasu Yadav, Devansh Singh (all Rajasthan)
- Women: Tejal Salve, Vaidehi Jadhav (both Maharashtra), Sheetal Devi (Jammu and Kashmir).
