CHENNAI: By now Sheetal Devi is used to breaking records, being part of history and rewrite scripts her way. She doesn't have hands but is an expert in a sport that usually needs them. She is quiet and has the ability to find target at will. World champion in para-archery, medallist at 2024 Paralympics, Asian Games... her CV is brimming. On Thursday, she created history. She qualified to be part of junior archery compound team for the Asia Cup — Stage 3 scheduled for December.
Devi had come back from a one-month break and was competing at the qualifiers in Sonepat. Her coach Gaurav Sharma explained in detail about her motive. He said that initially she just wanted to compete and do well. But as the four-day qualifier progressed she started doing well and she took aim at her destiny.
The coach also explained that there is not much of a difference between able-bodied and para archery. Sharma said that the para-archers are given a minute longer (four minutes to shoot six arrows) than the able-bodied ones (three minutes) during their events. "Everything else is the same (Bow, arrow, distance and the target). It is a game of endurance and mindset, and for Devi, it is her strong mindset that has guided her," he explained.
In the final rankings, Salve topped with 15.75 points, followed by Vaidehi Jadhav (15). Devi (11.75) managed to finish third, pipping Dnyaneshwari Gadadhe (11.5).
Sharma recalled the reactions from the crowd post his ward's performance, where she matched top qualifier Tejal Salve's total of 703. "All the athletes, their parents and coaches were surprised by Sheetal's performance. She is an inspiration," he added.
Hailing from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, Devi was first identified in a youth sports meet by the Indian Army in 2021. Two years later, she announced herself on the global stage by winning silver in the World Archery Para Championships. In the final there at Pilsen in Czech Republic in July 2023, she lost to Turkish para-archer Oznur Cure Girdi. Incidentally, Girdi, who Devi looks up to, took part in a able-bodied tournament, the Istanbul 2025 Conquest Cup this May.
The fact that she climbed trees with her legs as a child helped her build a strong core, which helped her in her career. "She was gifted from the beginning. In my time with her, she changed her technique, but it also came with ups and downs. People started saying Sheetal's time was up. But she was focused on her goals and kept going with the same mindset," Sharma, who was her coach when she won bronze in the mixed compound event in Paris last year, explained. The duo train at Punjabi University in Patiala. "We train the entire year except on Saturdays and Sundays. We come to practise thinking the more you hit the more you hit, just like how the able-bodied practice," he added.
After her historic feat, eyes will be on the Asia Cup in Jeddah. Irrespective of the result there, Devi will have achieved her dream of playing along with able-bodied athletes.
Team: Recurve: Men's: Rampal Choudhary (AAI), Rohit Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Mayank Kumar (Haryana); Women: Kondapavuluri Yuktha Sri (Andhra Pradesh), Vaishnavi Kulkarni (Maharashtra), Kratika Bichpuriya (Madhya Pradesh). Compound: Men: Pradhuman Yadav, Vasu Yadav, Devansh Singh (all Rajasthan); Women's: Tejal Salve, Vaidehi Jadhav (both Maharashtra), Sheetal Devi (Jammu and Kashmir).