Eighteen-year-old Indian archer Sheetal Devi has done something truly incredible. Competing without arms, she made history by defeating Turkiye’s world No. 1 Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143 to claim the women’s compound individual gold at the Para World Archery Championship in Gwangju on Saturday.
Historic Gold for Sheetal Devi
What makes it even more special is that Sheetal Devi is the only armless archer in the competition. She shoots using her feet and chin, and this gold became her third medal at the championships. Earlier, she had already won a mixed team bronze with Toman Kumar, beating Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham and Nathan MacQueen 152-149.
Along with Sarita, Sheetal Devi also took home a silver in the compound women’s open team event. The duo fought hard but went down to Turkey in the final.
A Nerve-Wracking Individual Final
The gold medal clash was anything but easy. Sheetal Devi kept her calm and shot with remarkable consistency. The opening round ended in a 29-all tie, but in the second end she pulled ahead with three perfect 10s to win it 30-27.
The third end again ended level at 29-all. Her only slip came in the fourth round where she scored 28, giving Girdi the edge by one point. Still, Sheetal held on to a two-point lead at 116-114.
When it mattered most, she showed nerves of steel. In the final end, Sheetal Devi sealed the deal with three flawless arrows for a perfect 30, earning her first-ever gold medal at the Para World Championship.
Strong Show in the Semifinal
Earlier in the semifinals, the archer from Jammu and Kashmir had impressed with a powerful 145-140 win over Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham. This set up the much-awaited final against Girdi, which was actually a repeat of the 2023 Pilsen World Championships. Back then, Girdi had edged past Sheetal 140-138, but this time, the Indian star turned the tables in style.
Tough Battle in the Team Final
In the open team final, Sheetal Devi and Sarita started strong against Oznur Cure Girdi and Bursa Fatma Un from Turkey. They edged the first end 38-37, with the Indians landing three 10s out of their first four arrows.
But Turkey bounced back in the second end with three 10s and a nine, leveling the match at 76-all. From there, the pressure seemed to affect the Indian pair. In the third end, they managed only one 10 along with two 9s and an 8, totaling 36. The Turkish team stayed consistent with 37, taking a slim one-point lead.
In the final end, Girdi and Un were nearly flawless, hitting 39 out of 40. The Indians struggled with a 36 that included one arrow slipping into the 7-ring. That proved costly as Turkey clinched the gold by a four-point margin, leaving the Indian duo with silver.
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