Sheetal Devi: The India para-archer sets her eyes on the Gold medal at the Paralympics

Star Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi is a strong favourite to become the first Indian female to win an archery medal at the Paralympics. The Indian Para archery team is training hard in Compiegne, France ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games. Just a few more days are left for the Paris Paralympics 2024 to get underway. The Indian Paralympics team is all set for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris with its largest-ever Paralympics contingent of 84 athletes. In a crazy fact, the India Paralympics team had won more medals in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics alone than they did in all the previous editions combined. India won 19 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics whereas they had won a total of 12 medals between the Paralympic Games debut at Tel Aviv in 1968 and the Rio Paralympics 2016.

Sheetal Devi: The India para-archer sets her eyes on the Gold medal at the Paralympics

1. Who is Sheetal Devi? - India's armless Archery prodigy sets her eyes on the Gold medal

Sheetal Devi was born in 2007 with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder leading to underdeveloped limbs. The condition resulted in her arms not fully forming. Fast forward at the age of 17, Sheetal Devi is a rising star in para-archery. She won 2 gold medals in the individual compound and mixed team compound events along with Rakesh Kumar at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

Star Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi is a strong favourite to become the first Indian female to win an archery medal at the Paralympics. Her consistent performances on the global stage make her a top para-athlete to watch out for in the India Paralympics team. Sheetal is confident of bagging the gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The Para archery ranking round starts with the first medal events scheduled for Saturday, August 31.

One should definitely watch the inspirational story of @Sheetal_archery https://t.co/b3l4vURxCt

— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) August 26, 2024

Sheetal Devi's medals and achievements

• World Archery Para Championships 2023 silver medal - women's individual compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal - women's individual compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 gold medal - mixed doubles compound open archery
• Asian Para Games 2023 silver medal - women's doubles compound open archery
• World No. 1 women's compound para archer in the open category in 2023
• Khelo India Para Games 2023 gold medal - women's individual compound open archery
• Arjuna Award 2023
• Best Youth Athlete of the Year 2023 by the Asian Paralympic Committee
• Best Women Para Archer of the Year 2023 by World Archery

2. The Indian para-archery team is all set to put on their best-ever performance

The Indian Para archery contingent is training hard in Compiegne, France ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games. Harvinder Singh became the first Indian to win a Paralympic medal in archery at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. The India Paralympics team especially our para-archers will be aiming to deliver a better performance than the Indian able-archery team, led by Deepika Kumari, who could not win any medals at the Paris Olympics 2024. During the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, Harvinder Singh won India's first-ever archery medal in the men's individual recurve open final.

With only one bronze medal, the Indian para-archers will look to not only increase the medal tally but also change the colour of the medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The 6-member squad is a perfect combination of experienced Paralympians and young archers. Harvinder Singh and Sheetal Devi are all set to lead the Indian para-archery team with their impressive track records and recent successes. They are joined by Rakesh Kumar, Shyam Sundar Swami, Pooja Jatyan and Sarita who are all ready to clinch gold medals at the Paris Paralympics 2024.

3. All you need to know about the Para archery event at the Paris Paralympics 2024

The Para archery events at the Paris Paralympics 2024 will take place from August 29 to September 5 at the Les Invalides arena. India will compete in 6 categories. After the ranking round, the archers will have to compete in eliminatory duels contested in five sets of three arrows each. In the case of mixed events, the archers will have to compete in four sets of two arrows.

Indian schedule: Para archery 2024 Paralympics

August 29

• 16:30 - Women’s Individual Compound Open Ranking Round - Sheetal Devi (ST category), Sarita (W2 category)
• 16:30 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open Ranking Round - Harvinder Singh (ST category)
• 20:30 - Men’s Individual Compound Open Ranking Round - Rakesh Kumar (W2 category), Shyam Sundar Swami (ST category)
• 20:30 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open Ranking Round - Pooja (ST category)

August 30

• 12:30 - Women’s Individual Compound Open 1/16 elimination
• 19:00 - Men’s Individual Compound Open 1/16 elimination
  August 31
• 19:00 - Women’s Individual Compound Open 1/8 elimination*
• 21:16 - Women’s Individual Compound Open Quarterfinal*
• 22:24 - Women’s Individual Compound Open Semifinal*
• 23:13 - Women’s Individual Compound Open Bronze Medal Match*
• 23:30 - Women’s Individual Compound Open Gold Medal Match*

September 1

• 19:00 - Men’s Individual Compound Open 1/8 elimination*
• 21:16 - Men’s Individual Compound Open Quarterfinal*
• 22:24 - Men’s Individual Compound Open Semifinal*
• 23:13 - Men’s Individual Compound Open Bronze Medal Match*
• 23:30 - Men’s Individual Compound Open Gold Medal Match*

September 2

• 19:00 - Mixed Team Compound Open 1/8 elimination
• 20:20 - Mixed Team Compound Open Quarterfinal*
• 21:40 - Mixed Team Compound Open Semifinal*
• 22:35 - Mixed Team Compound Open Bronze Medal Match*
• 22:55 - Mixed Team Compound Open Gold Medal Match*

September 3

• 12:30 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open 1/16 elimination followed by 1/8 elimination*
• 20:30 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open Quarterfinal*
• 21:18 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open Semifinal*
• 22:27 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open Bronze Medal Match*
• 22:44 - Women’s Individual Recurve Open Gold Medal Match*

September 4

• 12:30 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open 1/16 elimination followed by 1/8 elimination round*
• 21:00 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open Quarterfinal*
• 22:08 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open Semifinal*
• 22:54 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open Bronze Medal Match*
• 23:14 - Men’s Individual Recurve Open Gold Medal Match*

September 5

• 13:30 - Mixed Team Recurve Open 1/8 elimination
• 18:30 - Mixed Team Recurve Open Quarterfinal*
• 19:50 - Mixed Team Recurve Open Semifinal*
• 20:45 - Mixed Team Recurve Bronze Medal Match*
• 21:05 - Mixed Team Recurve Gold Medal Match*

(* - Subject To Qualification)