Asian Para Games gold medallist archer Sheetal Devi is one of India’s top Medal Hopes at the Paris Paralympics, which is set to begin on 28 August.

The 17-year archer from Jammu district was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder. She is the world’s first and only active female archer to compete without arms. Currently, Sheetal Devi is ranked first in the world in the compound open women’s category. Para-archer Sheetal Devi also received the prestigious Arjuna Award 2023 from President Droupadi Murmu. In 2023, she won a silver at the Para-Archery World Championship, which helped to get her ticket for the Paris Paralympics Games.

Born in a small village to a farming family, Devi had not seen a bow and arrow till she was 15. Within just four months of starting her training, she began to use a proper bow and hit targets at a 50m distance, the competition standard for the compound open category. Devi takes inspiration from American archer Matt Stutzman, who famously shoots with his feet using a customised device. At Paris, she will face tough competition from opponents including world number three Jane Karla Gogel and the reigning World Championship winner Oznur Cure.

Paris Paralympics 2024 is all set to begin on the 28th of this month. The eleven days of non-stop sports will begin after a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday and will last till the 8th of next month. This time, India is sending its largest contingent ever in the history of the Games, with 84 athletes.