Indian archer Sheetal Devi showcased her exceptional talent by scoring an impressive 703 points in the Women’s Open Compound qualification at her debut Paralympic Games on Thursday. Sheetal surpassed her previous personal best during the competition in Paris.
Despite her outstanding performance, Sheetal finished in 2nd place behind Cure Girdi of Turkey, who set a new world record with a score of 704.
During the event, Sheetal hit an impressive 59 10s and 25 Xs out of the 72 arrows she fired, demonstrating her dominance over all but one archer in the field. As a result, she secured a direct qualification to the Round of 16.
Born with phocomelia syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affected the development of her limbs, Sheetal has overcome numerous challenges to excel in the sport of archery.
As one of the top-four finishers in the ranking round, Sheetal received a bye from the round of 32 competition and will advance to the round of 16, scheduled for Saturday.
In the upcoming round, Sheetal will compete against the winner of the round of 32 match between Mariana Zuniga of Chile and Choi Na Mi of Korea, who finished 15th and 18th, respectively, in the ranking round.
Zuniga, a silver medalist in the women’s individual compound open at the Tokyo Paralympics, poses a formidable challenge for Sheetal. However, Sheetal's remarkable achievements, including winning two gold medals and a silver at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, demonstrate her ability to rise to the occasion.
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