In a show of appreciation and solidarity, industrialist Anand Mahindra has congratulated Sheetal Devi, the armless archer of India, after her splendid performance in the Paralympics held in Paris. Seventeen-year-old Devi has been inspiring millions with her talent and her fight against all odds.
Mahindra, who had earlier gifted a car from the Mahindra range in an episode of 2023, has repeated his offer. Last year, Devi had turned down the offer, saying she would take the offer when she attains the age of 18 in 2025. Mahindra, in a recent post, said that he was looking forward to this and thanked Devi for her bravery. He said, “Extraordinary courage, commitment and a never-give-up spirit are not linked to medals. #SheetalDevi, you are a beacon of inspiration for the country—and the entire world.”
Sheetal Devi was born with phocomelia, a congenital disorder that affects limb development, and yet she has become the only active female archer in the world who competes without arms. Her style entails using her right leg and shoulder to draw the bow, loading the arrow using her foot, and using a release aid for the leg to let go of the arrow.
In the Paralympics held at Paris, Sheetal Devi had come very close to creating a new world record when she shot 703 points out of 720 in the ranking round of the women’s individual compound archery event. Despite the fact that she scored a point less than the set world record, her performance was quite outstanding. But her trip to the quarter-finals was checked by Chile’s Mariana Zuniga in the pre-quarterfinal match, where she won by a single point.
Even though she was eliminated in the pre-quarter-finals, Sheetal Devi is still a favourite for the mixed team compound open event, where she will be partnering Rakesh Kumar to reach the semifinals.
