11/06/2026
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 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.
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 defeating Maharashtra’s Rajshri Rathod 6-4.