Sheetal Devi created a new history. (Photo-PTI)

Para-Archer Sheetal Devi: The dream of Shital Devi, who won the gold medal in the World Para Archery Championship, has finally been fulfilled. In November last year, during Amitabh Bachchan's popular television show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', para archer Sheetal Devi, who was without an arm since birth, had expressed her heartfelt wish. She said that one day she would compete at the highest level with able-bodied athletes. Now, exactly one year later, in November 2025, his dream has become a wonderful reality.

Sheetal Devi made place in this team

Sheetal Devi The Indian able-bodied junior team has been selected for the upcoming Asia Cup Stage 3 to be held in Jeddah. This is a historic achievement for any Indian para-athlete. She has become the first Indian para archer to join the able-bodied junior team. On being selected in the team, Sheetal Devi wrote on social media, "When I started playing, I had a small dream - to compete with able-bodied archers one day. I was not successful at first, but I did not give up, learned from every defeat.

Performed brilliantly in the National Selection Trials

Competing among more than 60 able-bodied archers under similar conditions in the National Selection Trials held in Sonipat, Haryana, 18-year-old Sheetal secured third place after four days of competition.

Archery training was started in Katra

Sheetal, who takes training at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, has already created history by becoming the first woman without arms world champion in para archery.

Gaurav Sharma helped him rebuild his shooting style after World Archery changed a rule that did not allow the heel to touch the bow. This change required adjustments to shoot using only the toe and forefoot. Gaurav Sharma told PTI, "He had to start from the beginning.

did not pay attention to external things

In another post, Sheetal Devi had written that how she did not pay attention to external things during her difficult times? She wrote that at the beginning of this year I went through a difficult phase. I missed practice sessions, lost matches and then the whispers started that his time had passed.

The new rules forced me to start again from the basics. I did not pay attention to external things. My coach told me that we do not have to answer to anyone… our arrow will answer. She became Para World Compound Champion in Guangzhou in September.

Preparations started a year ago

Gaurav Sharma told that the preparation of Sheetal started about a year ago. She is always determined and focused, to be honest, when the final list came, I was surprised. This is unexpected and unbelievable. A para-athlete is competing shoulder to shoulder with the best able-bodied archers of the country. Sharma further said that his next goal is to create a balance between Sheetal's para and able-body campaigns. next year Asian Para Games That will be our main focus, no doubt, but we are also planning to give her a trial for the able-bodied senior event and see how she performs?

got inspiration from

Sheetal also got early inspiration from Turkey's Oznur Cure Girdi, the reigning Paralympic champion who has competed in able-bodied events at the World Cup and World Games. Oznur won his first medal in the able-bodied competition at the Istanbul 2025 Conquest Cup in May.

teams

Recurve (Mains): Rampal Chaudhary (AAI), Rohit Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Mayank Kumar (Haryana)Woman: Kondapavuluri Yukta Sri (Andhra Pradesh), Vaishnavi Kulkarni (Maharashtra), Krutika Bichpuriya (Madhya Pradesh).

Compound (Mains): Pradyumna Yadav, Vasu Yadav, Devansh Singh (all Rajasthan)Woman: Tejal Salve, Vaidehi Jadhav (both Maharashtra), Sheetal Devi (Jammu and Kashmir)