<h5>A Special Moment for India</h5><p>India is celebrating an important moment in sports. Sheetal Devi, an 18-year-old para-archer from Jammu &amp; Kashmir, has become the first Indian para-athlete to compete with able-bodied archers. She will take part in the Asia Cup Stage 3 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 10 to 15 December 2025.</p><p>This shows that skill and hard work are more important than physical limits.</p><h5>Who Is Sheetal Devi?</h5><p>Sheetal was born in 2007 with phocomelia, a rare condition because of which she has no arms. But she never gave up.</p><p>In 2019, the Indian Army noticed her talent at a youth event. Her coaches then made special equipment for her, inspired by an American armless archer named Matt Stutzman.</p><p>Sheetal has a number of extraordinary achievements.</p><p>She won two golds and one silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games, followed by two more gold medals in Hangzhou in 2023.</p><p>She became India’s youngest Paralympic medalist after winning a bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.</p><p>In 2025, she became the first woman without arms to win a World Para Archery Championship.</p><p>She also became World No. 1 in para archery and received the Arjuna Award.</p><h5>How Does She Do Archery?</h5><p>Sheetal uses a 53-pound compound bow, but she shoots with her feet. She sits on a chair and holds the bow with her toes. She then loads the arrow with her right foot.</p><p>A release aid is attached to her chest, which helps her shoot. She pulls the bow by pushing her legs forward instead of using her hands to pull the strings.</p><p>She says that she has great balance because she climbed many trees in her village when she was younger.</p><h5>How She Joined the Able-Bodied Team</h5><p>Sheetal did not get any special entry. She earned her place by beating more than 60 able-bodied archers in four days of trials.</p><p>She also had to relearn her technique because of a new rule about how her foot could touch the bow.</p><p>Para archery allows special equipment, while able-bodied archery has stricter rules. Even then, Sheetal matched the best archers.</p><p>In the 2025 trials, she scored 703 out of 720, one of the highest scores.</p><h5>What We Learn From Her</h5><p>Sheetal teaches us that courage and effort can break any barrier. She shows that dreams stay strong, even when life is difficult.</p><p>Her performance at the Asia Cup will remind everyone that limits can be changed by brave people.</p>

Sheetal Devi, an armless para-archer from Jammu & Kashmir, has made history by becoming the first Indian para-athlete to qualify for an able-bodied archery team.

Para-Archer Sheetal Devi Shoots Her Way Into History

Collect 300 Hootcoins!

Collect 150 Hootcoins!

India Wins Women's Cricket World Cup 2025

India Wins The Asia Cup 2025

Divya Deshmukh Wins Chess World Cup!

Para-Archer Sheetal Devi Shoots Her Way Into History

Collect 300 Hootcoins!

Collect 150 Hootcoins!

Did you read these articles?

India Wins Women's Cricket World Cup 2025

India Wins The Asia Cup 2025

Divya Deshmukh Wins Chess World Cup!