Historic Triumph: Armless Archer Sheetal Devi Strikes Gold

In a landmark achievement, 18-year-old Sheetal Devi etched her name in the annals of history as the first armless female archer to win gold at the Para World Archery Championships. Demonstrating extraordinary skill, Sheetal overcame Turkiye's top-ranked Oznur Cure Girdi with a score of 146-143 in a fiercely contested final.

From the picturesque region of Jammu and Kashmir, Sheetal, the sole participant without arms, showcased amazing dexterity by shooting with her feet and chin. Her victory marks the first instance of an armless female archer claiming top honors at the championships, drawing parallels to USA's Matt Stutzman's historic accomplishment in 2022.

The day proved eventful for India as Toman Kumar seized the men's compound title. Despite a challenging final with teammate Rakesh Kumar forced to withdraw, Toman, on his debut, capitalized on the opportunity, scoring four impeccable arrows to clinch the gold, further solidifying India's standing with a total of five medals.