Sheetal Devi has a double gold again! Indian archer repeats 2023 medal performance at 2026 Asian Para Games

Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi once again wins three medals at the Asian Para Games. NEW DELHI: Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi once again proved her mettle on the biggest continental stage as she bagged two gold medals at the Asian Para Games as she clinched the women’s individual event title on Thursday.The 19-year-old armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir staged a stunning comeback to defeat Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in the final at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square to successfully defend the individual title she won in Hangzhou 2023.The win capped off a memorable day of double gold for Sheetal, who had teamed up with Toman Kumar to win the mixed team gold earlier in the day. She also secured a silver medal in the women’s compound doubles along with Odisha’s quadruple amputee archer Payal Nag.With three medals – two gold and a silver – Sheetal repeated her medal tally from the 2023 Asian Para Games where she also bagged two gold medals and a silver to assert herself as one of India’s brightest para-sporting talents.

Sheetal turns the tide to defend the individual crown

Sheetal had to dig deep to retain her individual crown, with Alim initially putting the Indian under pressure in their gold medal clash.The Singaporean archer built a four-point lead after the opening two ends, leaving Sheetal with a lot of work to do. However, the Indian made a remarkable recovery and fired six tens, including three X’s – the arrows landing closest to the center of the target – over the next two ends.A remarkable sequence helped Sheetal overcome the deficit to take a two-point lead into the final over, setting up a thrilling finish.With the gold medal on the line, Sheetal kept her composure and scored three 9s in the final for 27 points. Meanwhile, Alim managed scores of 9, 8 and 9 for 26 points to help the Indian seal a 142-139 victory.The triumph was particularly significant as it came less than a few hours after Sheetal won the mixed team gold with Toman, underscoring her ability to serve under pressure in multiple events.

Three medals again, same as Hangzhou

Sheetal’s 2026 campaign followed a familiar pattern from her breakthrough performance at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.In the previous edition, she had won gold in the women’s individual event and the mixed team event along with Rakesh Kumar. She also won silver in the women’s team event with Sarita.Three years later, Sheetal repeated this medal feat, this time collecting individual and mixed team gold medals along with a silver with Payal Nag in the women’s doubles.The Indian duo topped the rankings in the doubles but lost 141-150 to China’s Xueqing Xu and Jing Zhao in the final on Wednesday.Sheetal’s latest triumph further strengthens her reputation as a leading figure in Indian para-archery. Having already made history in Hangzhou by becoming the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games, she has now successfully repeated the feat in 2026.At just 19 years of age, Sheetal continues to translate extraordinary personal determination into landmark sporting achievements and represents another golden chapter for India on the para-sports scene.