Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir’s armless archer Sheetal Devi won gold in the women’s compound individual event at the Asian Para Games on Thursday, securing the title for the second consecutive time. Making a remarkable comeback after trailing in a thrilling final, the 19-year-old world champion defeated Singapore’s Alim Noor Syahidah 142–139.
Sheetal achieved this feat just hours after winning gold in the compound mixed team event alongside Toman Kumar. The Indian duo defeated Indonesia 151–148 in the final to clinch the gold medal.
In the individual final held at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, Sheetal once again defeated Alim by the same 142–139 margin as in the final at Hangzhou 2023. With this victory, Sheetal secured her second gold medal at the Games, taking her overall medal tally to three.
Alim gained an early four-point lead in the opening two rounds, with both archers shooting six arrows in each round. She had also lost to Sheetal by two points in the final at the previous edition of the Games. However, the Jammu and Kashmir archer once again demonstrated her determination and exceptional skill to stage a strong comeback.
Sheetal delivered a brilliant performance in the next two rounds, scoring 10 points with each of her six consecutive arrows. Three of these arrows landed precisely in the centre of the target, earning the maximum score marked as ‘X’. Her consistent accuracy helped her establish a two-point lead ahead of the final round.
With the gold medal on the line, Sheetal maintained her composure in the decisive round. She scored nine points with each of her three arrows, accumulating 27 points in the final round.
Under pressure, Alim managed scores of 9, 8 and 9, finishing the round with 26 points. Sheetal’s consistency and composure ultimately secured her another memorable victory.
With this win, Sheetal’s medal tally at the Games rose to three. Earlier, she had won a silver medal in the women’s doubles event alongside Odisha’s Payal Nag, adding to her remarkable achievements at the international competition.
