Sheetal Devi: The inspiring story of India's armless archer who is an Asian champion

Teenaged Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award on Tuesday at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The 16-year-old armless archer hogged the limelight having earned three gold medals at the Para Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. With this, she became the first Indian woman athlete to claim two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games.

Heartfelt congratulations to Sheetal Devi on being bestowed with the Arjuna Award for her extraordinary accomplishments in Para-Archery.

Sheetal, you are a role model for the nation and the world; you have made the world acknowledge your passion, zeal, and hard work. May you… pic.twitter.com/0kOrh4io0Q

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) January 9, 2024

Also read: Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy earn Khel Ratna, Mohammed Shami honoured with Arjuna Award

She also emerged as the first armless woman to clinch a Para World Archery Championships medal in July, having defeated Singapore’s Alim Nur Syahidah 144-142 in the gold medal-deciding fixture.

Who is Sheetal Devi? 

Sheetal Devi is currently the solitary international para-archery champion without upper limbs.

Hailing from Kishtwar, located in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheetal Devi was born with Phocomelia, a rare medical condition that caused underdeveloped limbs.

Amazing feat* feet!