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Indian archer Sheetal Devi won her second consecutive Asian Para Games gold by defeating Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in the women’s compound individual final.
Sheetal Devi with her individual Gold.
The prodigious Indian archer Sheetal Devi clinched her second consecutive Asian Para Games gold in the women’s compound individual event, staging a comeback to defeat Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in the final on Thursday.
The 19-year-old world champion returned to the range at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square less than two hours after partnering Toman Kumar to gold in the compound mixed team event. She now has two gold medals and a silver from the ongoing Games.
In a repeat of the Hangzhou 2023 final, Alim took control early, building a four-point lead after the opening two ends of six arrows each.
Sheetal, however, responded with a remarkable turnaround, shooting six 10s, including three Xs (representing arrows that land closest to the centre of the target), across the next two ends. Her strong showing helped her overturn the deficit and take a two-point lead into the final end.
With the gold medal on the line, Sheetal shot three 9s to score 27 points in the final end. Alim could manage only 26, with scores of 9, 8 and 9, as the Indian archer held on to secure another title.
Sheetal had earlier won silver in the women’s doubles event alongside Odisha’s quadruple amputee archer Payal Nag, taking her medal tally at the Games to three.
All about Sheetal Devi
Sheetal Devi, born without arms, took up para-archery after being identified by the Indian Army in 2019, which supported her education and medical care.
Training under coaches at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Katra, she became the world’s first armless woman archer to compete at the World Archery Para Championships, winning silver in 2023. She won bronze in the mixed team event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and claimed individual gold at the 2025 World Championships.
A two-time World Archery Para Archer of the Year, Sheetal received the Arjuna Award in 2023.
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Ask News18Sheetal Devi staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in the women’s compound individual final at the Asian Para Games.
Ask News18October 22, 2026, 12:40 IST
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