Sheetal Devi

Indian para archer (born 2007)

Sheetal Devi

Sheetal at the 2022 Asian Para Games

Personal information

Born

(2007-01-10) 10 January 2007 (age 17)
Loidhar, Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Achievements and titles

Personal best(s)

703 / 720 (2024)
1399 WR (2024)

Medal record

Women's Para-archery

Representing India
Paralympic Games
	2024 Paris	Mixed team compound
Asian Para Games
	2022 Hangzhou	Individual Compound
	2022 Hangzhou	Mixed Team Compound
	2022 Hangzhou	Doubles Compound

Sheetal Devi (born 10 January 2007) is an Indian para-archer. She won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympics in the mixed team compound event. She won two golds and one silver medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games. She is an Arjuna Award recipient.

Sheetal Devi was born with a rare medical condition called phocomelia, causing her to be born without arms. She is the first and only female international para-archery champion without upper limbs.

Early life and education

Sheetal Devi was born in a Rajput family on 10 January 2007^[1] in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.^[2] She was born with a rare medical condition called phocomelia, which caused her to be born with no arms.^[3]

In 2019, she attended a youth event in Kishtwar where she was noticed by the Indian Army's Rashtriya Rifles unit, resulting in the army supporting her education and providing medical assistance.^[4]

Career and achievements

In the youth event organized by Indian army, the coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Wadhwan noticed her confidence and decided to train her. The coaches wanted to help her with prosthetics, however the doctors said that prosthetics were not possible in her case. Devi told the coaches that she was fond of and has expertise in climbing trees using her legs.^[5]

The coaches had never had experience training a person with no arms for archery before. However, after some research and knowledge about Matt Stutzman, who was armless and used his legs for archery her training had begun. Within 11 months of training, Devi had participated in the women's compound bow at the 2022 Asian Para Games,^[5]^[2] and won two gold medals for India.^[5] Devi received two gold medals, in mixed doubles and women's individual, after winning a silver medal in women's double compound.^[6]

On 9 January 2024, Devi received the Arjuna Award 2023 from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.^[7]^[8] She became the youngest athlete to compete in women's para archery at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.^[9] She surpassed the previous world record of 698 points in the ranking round with an impressive score of 703, qualifying for the 1/16 elimination round in the women's individual compound open category.^[10]^[11]^[12] Despite being eliminated by just 1 point in the 1/8 elimination round,^[13]^[14] she overcame the setback by winning a bronze medal in the mixed team compound open category alongside Rakesh Kumar at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.^[15]^[16]

Awards

International career

Olympic Games

year	Competition	Venue	Event	Score
2024	Paralympic Games	Paris	mixed team compound open

Other

Year	Award	Awarded by	Result	References
2023	Best Youth Athlete of the Year	Asian Paralympic Committee	Won	^[17]^[18]
2023	Arjuna award	Government of India	Won	^[19]^[20]

References

^ "Sheetal Devi". Olympics. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Sheetal Devi: With three medals at Asian Para Games, 16-year-old armless archer from J&K is making waves". The Indian Express. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "Asian Para Games: No arms? No problem for Asian para-archery champion Sheetal Devi". ESPN. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
^ "World's first armless woman archer gets her wings at army camp in Jammu". Hindustan Times. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Sheetal Devi the armless archer की अद्भुत कहानी - हाथ नहीं है फिर भी जीते 3 मेडल". Anmoll (in Hindi). 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
^ PTI (27 October 2023). "Armless archer Sheetal Devi first Indian woman to win 2 Asian Para Games gold as country's medal rush continues". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ "National Sports Awards 2023: Mohammed Shami, para-archer Sheetal Devi receive Arjuna awards - WATCH". The Times of India. 9 January 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ Online |, E. T. (9 January 2024). "Arjuna Awards 2023: Para-archer Sheetal Devi receives prestigious award from President Murmu". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ "Paralympics 2024: Who is Sheetal Devi? 17-year-old scripts world record in archery". Hindustan Times. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
^ PTI (29 August 2024). "Sheetal sizzles, qualifies for the round of 16". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ "Paralympics: Sheetal Devi leads Indian archers' impressive show in ranking round". India Today. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ Aldred, Tanya (31 August 2024). "Jodie Grinham shoots into history with Paralympic archery bronze while pregnant". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
^ IANS (1 September 2024). "Paris Paralympics: Sheetal Devi bows out, Sarita misses semis spot". The Statesman. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ "Paralympics: Archer Sheetal loses pre-quarters, out of individual medal contention". India Today. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ PTI (2 September 2024). "Indian duo of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar wins bronze". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ "Paris Paralympics: With mixed team archery bronze, Sheetal Devi adds another chapter to glorious legacy". The Indian Express. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
^ "Para Archer Sheetal Devi Wins Best Youth Athlete Of 2023 Honour At Asian Awards". The Chenab Times. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
^ "Sheetal Devi, India's 16-Year-Old Para Archery Champion, Wins Best Youth Athlete Of 2023 Honour At Asian Awards". Outlook (magazine). 26 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
^ "The Golden Girl of India Sheetal Devi receives Arjuna Award from President of India". India Today. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^ "Sheetal Devi Honoured With Arjuna Award: Well-Deserved Birthday Gift To World's No. 1 Para-Archer At 17". TimesNow. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.