06/10/2025
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Jammu and Kashmirโs 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 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 compound open final match.
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Payal lost all four limbs due to electrocution when she was a child, and she now shoots with prosthetic legs.
The sunny conditions in the national capital did not deter the competitive spirit of the archers, as 40-year-old Rakesh Kumar and 30-year-old Jyoti Baliyan also won gold medals in their respective events.
Jharkhandโs Vijay Sundi beat Haryanaโs Vikas Bhakar 6-4 in the menโs recurve open gold medal match, while Haryanaโs Pooja won the womenโs recurve open gold after defeating Maharashtraโs Rajshri Rathod 6-4.
All eyes were on the womenโs compound gold medal match between Sheetal and Payal.
Sheetal started with scores of 8 and 7, while Payal began with double 10s. However, Payal lost the upper hand in the third round, shooting a 7 for the first time, while Sheetal returned 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 arrows with two devices in my prosthetic legs, but now Iโm shooting with just one leg. It was difficult to adjust, but I still reached the final despite the discomfort, and there were also a lot of windy conditions today. But I am happy to have competed in the final and to have won the silver," she said.
As per her coach, Kuldeep Vedwan, Payal got a new dev
