Sheetal leads India's charge as Ahmedabad hosts country's first international para archery event

Ahmedabad: Trailblazer Sheetal Devi will be the centre of attention when India's finest para archers take aim in country's first international para archery event beginning here on Saturday.

The third stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series that will conclude on Wednesday brings 109 archers from 19 countries to India for a competition that also serves as an important build-up to the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games.

Also Read: Unbeaten India storm into Pickleball World Cup round of 32 after dominant day


At the forefront of the home challenge is Sheetal, the world number one in compound women and the reigning world champion, who will be competing in front of the home Indian crowd for the first time in an international event.

The 19-year-old has already established herself as one of the sport's biggest names despite her young age.

Born without arms, Sheetal uses her right foot and shoulder to draw the bow and a specialised release aid held in her mouth to shoot.

Also Read: A first for India at Asian Games: Safeguarding Officer to tackle abuse or neglect

Her rise to the top has been remarkable. At the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships, she became the first woman without arms to win a para archery world title, defeating defending champion and Paralympic champion Oznur Cure Girdi of Turkiye 146-143 in the compound women's final.

That world title added to a glittering record that already included a mixed team bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics alongside Rakesh Kumar -- making her India's youngest Paralympic medallist at 17 -- and two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

Sheetal has also shown that her ambitions extend beyond para archery.

In 2025, she became the first Indian para archer to be selected for the country's able-bodied national squad after finishing third in selection trials for the Asian Cup in Jeddah.

She arrives in Ahmedabad in strong form.

At the second stage of this year's Para Series in Nove Mesto in June, Sheetal topped qualifying in the compound women's event with 697 points, setting a new Asian record in the process.

India's challenge will run much deeper than its teenage superstar.

World number one Toman Kumar, the reigning world champion in men's compound, will spearhead the men's challenge, while Paris 2024 mixed team bronze medallist Rakesh Kumar adds considerable experience to the compound line-up.

In recurve, Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh will be among India's leading medal hopes, while world number five Pooja heads the women's challenge.

India's 29-member squad will be seeking to build on an impressive start to the inaugural Para Series season.

The hosts topped the medal table at the opening stage in Bangkok with seven gold medals, underlining the depth of their para archery programme.

The Ahmedabad event will nevertheless present a different challenge, with the home team facing several of the world's leading archers.

Among the international stars are France's world number two Guillaume Toucoullet in men's recurve, Czechia's world number one Sarka Pultar Musilova in women's W1 and Cyprus' world number one Christos Misos in the visually impaired 1 category.

China, Czechia and Great Britain have also brought strong squads, ensuring that India's home debut will be tested by some of the sport's best.

The event will feature individual and team competition across recurve, compound, W1 and visually impaired categories, with seven individual titles, three doubles titles and mixed team honours at stake, along with valuable world ranking points.