Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag win silver for India in women's compound doubles archery at the Asian Para Games (Img: PInterest)
Japan: India's young archers Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag clinched the silver medal in the women's compound doubles archery event at the Asian Para Games on Wednesday, narrowly missing out on gold against China's Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing , delivering a strong performance to finish on the podium. The 19-year-old duo secured second place after scoring 141 points in the final against China’s 150, adding another achievement to India’s para archery campaign.
Sheetal and Payal, both 19, put up a determined performance in the final, but could not overcome the advantage established by the Chinese pair in the opening end. Despite finishing second, their silver medal adds to India's achievements in para archery and highlights the growing presence of young Indian athletes on the international stage.
Hailing from Loidhar village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, Sheetal Devi was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital condition that left her arms severely underdeveloped. She has emerged as a prominent name in international para archery through her exceptional skill and determination.
Her journey reflects years of dedication to a sport that demands precision, concentration and consistency.
Payal Nag's path to international archery began after a life-altering accident at the age of eight. She suffered a severe electric shock after coming into contact with an 11,000-volt high-tension wire, leading to the loss of all four limbs.
The Odisha-born archer drew widespread attention after defeating Sheetal on her way to winning gold at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok. The two athletes later teamed up to represent India in the Asian Para Games women's doubles competition.
India also came close to securing another medal in the men's compound doubles event. Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami narrowly lost their bronze-medal match 153-154 to China's Ai Xinliang and Zhang Yicheng.
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Kumar has a permanent physical impairment following the amputation of his left leg while Swami has a locomotor impairment affecting movement in his lower limbs.
Although the men's pair missed the podium, India's silver-medal finish in the women's event underlines the country's competitive strength in para archery.
