Sheetal Devi Creates History: Para Archer Who Shoots with Her Feet Earns Spot in 'This' Indian Team

India, Nov 8, 2025: Sheetal Devi’s dream of winning a gold medal at the World Para Archery Championships has finally come true. Last November, during Amitabh Bachchan’s show Kaun Banega Crorepati, para-archer Sheetal Devi, who was born without arms, shared her dream to one day compete with able-bodied athletes. Now, exactly one year later, in November 2025, that dream has become a reality.

Sheetal Devi Makes History

Sheetal Devi has been selected for the Indian Able-Body Junior Team for the upcoming Asia Cup Stage 3 in Jeddah. This is a historic moment for Indian sports, as she becomes the first Indian para-archer to be included in the Able-Body Junior Team.

After her selection, Sheetal wrote on social media, “When I started playing, I had a small dream – to one day compete with able-bodied archers. I didn’t succeed at first, but I never gave up. I learned from every defeat. Today, that dream is one step closer.”

Outstanding Performance at the National Selection Trials

At the National Selection Trials in Sonipat, Haryana, 18-year-old Sheetal Devi competed against more than 60 able-bodied archers under the same conditions. She finished third after four days of competition. Sheetal scored a total of 703 points (352 + 351) in the qualification round, matching the score of top qualifier Tejal Salve. In the final rankings, Tejal took first place with 15.75 points, Vaidehi Jadhav was second with 15.75 points, and Sheetal finished third with 11.75 points, ahead of Maharashtra’s Gyaneshwari Gadhe (11.5).

Sheetal’s Journey and Determination

Sheetal trains at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra. She is already the first female para-archery world champion. However, after the Paris Paralympics—where she won a bronze medal in the mixed team event—her journey became more difficult. She moved to Patiala to train with coach Gaurav Sharma.

After a World Archery rule change banned touching the heel with the bow, Sheetal had to completely change her shooting method. Gaurav Sharma said, “She had to start from zero again. The new method needed more control and balance. Her leg often hurt, but she never gave up.”

Ignoring Challenges and Staying Focused

In a social media post, Sheetal shared that she faced many challenges this year. She wrote, “I missed practice sessions, lost matches, and people started saying my time was over. But I ignored all that. My coach told me we don’t need to reply—our arrows will answer.”

In September, Sheetal became the Para World Compound Champion in Guangzhou.

A Year of Hard Work and New Goals

Coach Gaurav Sharma said Sheetal’s preparation began almost a year ago. “She is calm and focused. I was surprised when her name appeared on the final list. It’s unbelievable that a para-athlete is competing equally with India’s best able-bodied archers,” he said.

Their next goal is to balance her para and able-bodied events. “Next year’s Asian Para Games will be our main focus, but we’ll also try for the able-bodied senior trials,” Sharma added.

Inspiration and Team Selection

Sheetal drew inspiration from Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi, the Paralympic champion who has also won medals in able-bodied events. Oznur won her first medal in an able-bodied competition at the Istanbul 2025 Conquest Cup in May.

Teams Selected:

• Recurve (Men): Rampal Chaudhary (AAI), Rohit Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Mayank Kumar (Haryana)
• Recurve (Women): Kondapavuluri Yukta Shri (Andhra Pradesh), Vaishnavi Kulkarni (Maharashtra), Kritika Bichpuria (Madhya Pradesh)
• Compound (Men): Pradyuman Yadav, Vasu Yadav, Devansh Singh (all Rajasthan)
• Compound (Women): Tejal Salve, Vaidehi Jadhav (both Maharashtra), Sheetal Devi (Jammu and Kashmir)