Quick Info
| Profession | Archer |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 10/01/2007 |
| Age | 19 years |
| Birthplace | Village Loi Dhar, Kishtwar District, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
Latest News about Sheetal Devi
Sheetal Devi defeated Japan's Shinohara Aya 145-137 in the women's compound archery semi-final at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The win secured her a place in the individual final, guaranteeing India at least one medal in the event. She is scheduled to face Singapore's Alim Nur Syahidah in the gold-medal match on 22/10/2026.
Sheetal Devi scored 704 out of 720 in the women's compound ranking round at the 2026 Asian Para Games, equalling the world record and topping the qualification standings. The score also set a new Asian Games record and improved her own Asian record of 698 set earlier in 2026. Her performance was a strong start to India's archery campaign in Japan.
World Archery named Sheetal Devi its Para Archer of the Year for 2025. The honour recognised her gold medal in the women's compound individual event at the 2025 World Para Archery Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, where she became the first female armless archer to win gold at that championship. She also won team silver and mixed team bronze at the same championships.
Sheetal Devi won gold in the women's compound individual event at the 2025 World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, defeating reigning champion Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143. The victory gave her her first individual world title and added another major international success to her career.
Sheetal Devi was named BBC Emerging Athlete of the Year for 2024 at the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year awards. The honor followed her bronze medal performance in the mixed team compound event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
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Bio/Wiki
| Sheetal Devi is an Indian compound para-archer born with phocomelia, a rare congenital condition resulting in the absence of both arms. She is the first and only female para-archery champion without upper limbs and competes using a specially crafted bow that she operates with her feet and chest. | |
| She became world No. 1 in the compound women's category in November 2023 and later won the individual gold at the 2025 World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. In October 2026 she equalled the world record score of 704 in the compound ranking round at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and reached the women's compound final. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 161 cm |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Medical Condition | Phocomelia (absence of both arms) |
Educational Qualification(s)
| Qualification | Studying in class 10 |
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Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
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Family
| Siblings |
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Career
| Para-archer specializing in compound archery | |
| Recipient of Arjuna Award 2023 | |
| Winner of BBC Emerging Athlete of the Year award 2024 | |
| World Archery Para Championships title winner 2025 | |
| First Indian para-athlete selected for able-bodied international competition (Asia Cup 2025 Stage 3 in Jeddah) | |
| Reached world No. 1 ranking in the compound women's category on 27/11/2023 | |
| Named Para Archer of the Year 2025 by World Archery | |
| Qualified for the women's compound individual final at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, guaranteeing at least a silver medal |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Sheetal Devi is an Indian athlete who competes in archery at national and international levels. | |
| 2. In 2023, Sheetal became the first female armless archer to reach the world finals in archery. | |
| 3. Sheetal grew up in a financially struggling family in Loi Dhar, Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. | |
| 4. Despite her initial fears, Sheetal excelled in academics with support from family and friends. | |
| 5. Coach Kuldeep Vedwan invited Sheetal to join the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Archery Academy in Katra in 2022. | |
| 6. A special bow was crafted for Sheetal to use with her feet and chest for archery. | |
| 7. The army sponsored Sheetal's education and provided medical assistance and prosthetic limbs. | |
| 8. Sheetal competed in various archery events, starting with the Junior National Archery Championship in November 2022. | |
| 9. Sheetal also participated in the Khelo India Nationals and Women’s Khelo India Games. | |
| 10. In May 2023, Sheetal competed in a para tournament in the Czech Republic, winning two silver medals and a bronze. | |
| 11. Sheetal placed fourth in the compound women’s qualifying round at the Para Archery Championship 2023. | |
| 12. Sheetal's achievements have made her the first female armless archer in the world finals. | |
| 13. Sheetal was born without hands. | |
| 14. Sheetal skillfully grips her bow using her foot. | |
| 15. Sheetal was the world's first female archer without hands in 2022. | |
| 16. Sheetal held the 18th position in the world rankings for Compound Women Open category in July 2023. | |
| 17. Sheetal's best score in Compound Women Qualification stood at 682 by July 2023. | |
| 18. Coach Kuldeep Vedwan commended Sheetal's dedication to archery in an interview. | |
| 19. Preethi Rai encouraged Sheetal to pursue archery as a career path. | |
| 20. Sheetal was the only armless archer at the World Para Championships in 2023. | |
| 21. Coach Abhilasha shared the challenges faced while introducing Sheetal to archery in an interview. | |
| 22. Anand Mahindra praised Sheetal on Twitter for her performance at the 2023 Asian Para Games. | |
| 23. Sheetal's journey in archery began in 2019 when she attended a youth event in Kishtwar where she was discovered by Indian Army coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Wadhwan. | |
| 24. In just 11 months of training, Sheetal represented India at the Asian Para Games. | |
| 25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sheetal at his official residence for her extraordinary achievements at age 16. | |
| 26. Sheetal set a world record score of 149 in an elimination round at the 2026 Asian Para Games, surpassing the previous mark of 148. |
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