Khelo India Para Games 2025: Sheetal edges out Payal to defend archery gold

Khelo India Para Games 2025: Sheetal edges out Payal to defend archery gold

Jammu and Kashmir’s armless archer and Paralympics medallist Sheetal Devi edged out quadruple amputee Payal Nag of Odisha to win the gold in a much anticipated clash of the Khelo India Para Games here on Sunday.

In the battle between two teenagers, defending champion Sheetal came from behind to successfully bag her second gold medal of the Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Pitted against the 17-year-old Payal, Sheetal, 18, triumphed 109-103 in their compounddunnyery open final match.

Payal doesn’t have all the four limbs as she lost them due to electrocution when she was a child, and she shoots with prosthetic legs.

The sunny conditions at the national capital didn’t deter the competitive spirit of the archers as 40-year-old Rakesh Kumar and the 30-year-old Jyoti Baliyan also won gold medals in their respective events.

Jharkhand’s Vijay Sundi beat Haryana’s Vikas Bhakar 6-4 in the men’s recurve open gold medal match while Haryana’s Pooja won the women’s recurve open gold after beating Maharashtra’s Rajshri Rathod 6-4. All eyes were on the women’s compound gold medal match between Sheetal and Payal.

Sheetal started with scores of 8 and 7 while Payal began with double 10s.

Payal, however, lost the upper hand in the third round where she shot a 7 for the first time and Sheetal got back to her consistent best of 9s and 10s. The deciding fifth round saw Sheetal clinching the gold.

“Firstly, Payal played very well in the final and with her continuous hard work, she will definitely get a medal for India soon. Personally, I am grateful for all the blessings bestowed by Mata Rani that I won my second gold medal at the Khelo India Para Games,” Sheetal told SAI Media.

The soft-spoken Payal spoke about the technical aspects of the sport in her first Khelo India Para Games.

“Earlier, I used to shoot the arrows with two devices in my prosthetic legs but now, I’m shooting with just one leg. It was a problem adjusting but I still reached the final despite the discomfort and also there was a lot of windy conditions today. But I am happy to have competed in the final and got the silver,” she said.

As per her coach Kuldeep Vedwan, Payal got a new device last month.

“Since she is the first woman archer in the world who doesn’t have all the four limbs, it was a challenge for me to create an additional device inside her prosthetic leg. She now uses just one leg to shoot her arrows.

“Since the device was put just a month back, Payal’s journey in para-archery started from complete scratch yet again. With all the hard work and dedication, she put in the last month, she deservedly got the silver today,” said Kuldeep.

Payal also got philosophical.

“The sunny conditions, heat and the wind are nothing compared to the struggles and the pain we have faced through life. We have to play through it all.” In the men’s compound open gold medal match, Rajasthan’s Shyam Sundar Swami beat Toman Kumar of Chhattisgarh 140-139 in a neck-to-neck contest.

In the bronze medal matches, Rakesh Kumar showcased consistency he is known for to defeat Haryana’s Parmender 143-140, while Jyoti Baliyan defeated Delhi’s Lalpati 136-132.

Dhanna Godara of Rajasthan and Jharkhand’s Sukriti Singh won the men’s and women’s recurve open bronze medals respectively.

Published on Mar 23, 2025