Asian Para Games: Sheetal Devi equals world record, sets new Asian mark with 704 points

Asian Para Games: Sheetal Devi equals world record in compound archery India’s Sheetal Devi produced a record performance in the qualification round of women’s compound archery at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Monday, scoring 704 out of a possible 720 points to equal the world record and set a new Asian record.The 19-year-old archer from Jammu and Kashmir produced an exceptional display of accuracy, hitting 57 perfect 10s across her 72 arrows, including 32 X’s, meaning the shots landed in the innermost scoring zone of the target.Her score surpassed the previous Asian record of 698 by six points, setting a new benchmark in the continental competition. The world record of 704 was set by Oznur Girdi of Turkey at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.Sheetal, a Paris Paralympic bronze medalist and reigning Asian Games champion, also broke her own Asian Para Games record of 680, which she set in Hangzhou in 2023. That year, she won two gold medals in the individual and mixed teams and a silver in the doubles.She took the Asian record to 698 in March this year before taking it one step further with Monday’s record-breaking effort in Nagoya.

Payal has made an impressive debut at the Asian Games

India also got a good performance from debutant Payal, who scored 675 points in the women’s composite qualifying round to finish fifth and boost the country’s medal prospects in the individual and team events.The quadruple amputee from Orissa grabbed attention in April after defeating Sheetal on her way to gold at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok.Their performances combined to secure India’s top spot in the women’s team qualifiers. Sheetal and Payal amassed 1,379 points to finish comfortably ahead of China, who managed 1,338.India’s position at the top ensured the pair a direct entry into the semi-finals. They will face the winners of the quarter-final between fifth-placed Thailand and fourth-placed Kazakhstan, with a win taking them into the medal round.Sheetal’s historic qualifying score and Payal’s encouraging debut have given India a strong platform as the archery competition moves into the knockout stages.