Paris Paralympics 2024 is going to start from 28 August, where the games will be played till 8 September. Around 4,400 athletes from all over the world are going to participate in 22 sports. At the same time, 84 para athletes from India will participate in the Paralympics this time. This is the largest contingent of India in Paralympic history so far. Archer Sheetal Devi's name is also included in this. She is one of the biggest contenders to win a medal in this Paralympics.

Who is India's big hope Sheetal Devi?

Sheetal Devi, a resident of Kishtwar, a small village in Jammu and Kashmir, has taken up the responsibility of winning a medal for the country in the Paralympics without having hands. Sheetal's father is a farmer and her mother takes care of goats at home. 17-year-old Sheetal has been without two hands since birth. She is suffering from a disease called phocomelia. But she never gave up in her life. She does archery with her feet. Sheetal Devi is sitting on a chair, picks up the bow with her right foot, then pulls the string from her right shoulder and releases the arrow with the strength of her jaw. Everyone is surprised to see her art.

Sheetal Devi is also the world's first and only active female archer to compete without hands. In 2023, she won a silver medal at the Para-Archery World Championships, which helped her qualify for the Paris Games. However, in Paris, she will face tough competition from other players including world number three Jen Carla Gogel and reigning world championship winner Oznur Cur.

History was created in Asian Para Games 2023

A historic performance was seen from Sheetal Devi in ​​the Asian Para Games 2023. She created history by winning three medals including two gold medals in the Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou, China. She also became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in the same edition. She was also awarded the Arjuna Award for this achievement.

This is how my career started

Born into a farming family in a small village, Devi had never seen a bow and arrow until she was 15. The turning point in her life came in 2022 when she visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, Jammu, about 200 km (124 miles) from her home, on the recommendation of an acquaintance. There she met Abhilasha Chaudhary and her other coach Kuldeep Vedwan, who introduced her to the world of archery. She soon moved to a training camp in the town of Katra. After that, she never looked back.