Eighteen-year-old Sheetal Devi has once again redefined the boundaries of sport. Competing without arms, the young archer from Jammu and Kashmir stunned the world on Saturday by winning gold in the women’s compound individual event at the Para World Archery Championships in South Korea’s Gwangju. Shooting with her feet and chin, Sheetal edged out Turkiye’s world No 1 Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143 in a tense final. With this victory, Sheetal avenged her 2023 defeat to the same opponent and also secured her third medal of the tournament.

It was a sweet moment of redemption for Sheetal. Just two years ago, she had lost to Girdi in the 2023 Pilsen World Championships final. This time, she held her nerve to reverse the script. Earlier, she brushed aside Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham 145-140 in the semifinal.

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Who is Sheetal Devi?

Sheetal was born in Loidhar village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar. The para archer lives with Phocomelia, a rare congenital condition that left her without arms. World Archery calls her the “first female archer without arms to compete internationally”. She has a unique shooting style; Sheetal uses her feet and chin to shoot an arrow.

It was in 2021 when she caught the attention of the Indian Army at a youth event in Kishtwar. According to IE, when initial plans to equip Sheetal with a prosthetic arm faltered, a fresh assessment revealed her exceptional upper body strength — developed from years of climbing trees in her village. Sports physiotherapists and mentors suggested archery, swimming or athletics. Archery soon became her calling.

Customised suit with chin trigger

Training began at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra. Coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Vedwan, drawing inspiration from American Paralympic silver medallist Matt Stutzman, improvised equipment to suit her style — modifying releasers and designing a chin-based trigger. Sheetal started small, shooting 50 to 100 arrows daily. Within months, she was shooting 300 arrows per session.

Her rapid progress stunned many and six months into training, she won silver at the Para Open Nationals in Sonepat. Sheetal even held her own against able-bodied competitors, finishing fourth at the Open Nationals.

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Breaking barriers

For Sheetal, sport became not just a platform for medals, but for dignity. “Initially, I could not even lift the bow properly. But, after practising for a couple of months, it became easier,” Sheetal told The Indian Express in 2023. 

“My parents always had faith in me. My friends in the village also supported me. The only thing I didn’t like was the look on people’s faces when they realised that I don’t have arms. These medals prove that I am special. These medals are not just mine, but of the whole country,” she further said.