Sheetal Devi: The Indian Archer with No Arms Who Won Paralympics Medals and World Championship Gold

Early Life, Family Background, and Initial Struggles

Sheetal Devi was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital condition resulting in severely underdeveloped arms. She grew up in Loidhar village, in the remote Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir. Her parents are Mann Singh and Shakti Devi, and she has a brother, Ajay Kumar.

Before archery, Sheetal performed everyday tasks using her legs and shoulders. As a child, she did rugged physical chores and climbed trees using her legs, a skill noted by local Indian Army personnel at a youth event in 2019. They later arranged educational and early sports support for her.

Financial and geographic challenges were significant. Archery facilities were not present in her village; she traveled long distances and trained at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, far from her home. Economic Times

Career Breakout: The Specific Turning Point

Sheetal’s breakthrough came in 2022, less than a year after she took up archery. She first competed in national events that year and quickly progressed to international para competitions by 2023.

In October 2023 at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, she won two gold medals (women’s individual compound and mixed team compound) and one silver medal, becoming the first Indian woman to win two golds at a single edition. She quickly rose in world rankings.

Her profile increased further in Paris 2024, where she became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist by winning bronze in the mixed team compound event at age 17. World Archery

Major Milestones and Professional Body of Work

Archery Technique and Training

• Sheetal uses her legs, shoulders, and jaw to handle the bow and release arrows.
• Training involved custom gear and adaptive methods developed with coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Vedwan.

Competition Milestones (Chronological)

• 2023 World Para Archery Championships: Silver medal.
• 2023 Asian Para Games: Two gold + one silver.
• 2024 Paris Paralympics: Bronze medal (mixed team).
• 2025 World Para Archery Championship: Gold medal (women’s individual).
• 2025 Able-bodied National Trials: Finished third among 60+ competitors, scoring 703 in qualifications, and was named to India’s junior able-bodied team.

Rare Anecdotes: Lesser-Known Real-Life Incidents

1. Tree-Climbing Discovery: Army coaches first noticed Sheetal’s physical strength when she climbed trees deftly using her legs at a local youth event. This detail was pivotal for her sports pathway.
2. Prosthetics Trial and Shift: Initially, trainers tried fitting prosthetic arms for sheetal, but this failed; instead, they adapted her training based on techniques inspired by USA archer Matt Stutzman, whom she later met.
3. Rule Adjustment Challenge (2025): After a rule change by World Archery required stricter stability standards, she had to rebuild her shooting stance, a painful and overlooked technical adjustment that delayed competition entry briefly. outlook india

Public Image, Media Treatment, and Relationships

Media coverage of Sheetal Devi has grown steadily since 2023, with national and international reporting focusing on her sporting results rather than personal life. Her public statements stick mostly to training, competitions, and archery technique.

Notably, after the Paris Paralympics, she had a documented interaction with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who encouraged her perspective on handling setbacks and competition pressure.

Her social media presence includes statements about goals like competing alongside able-bodied athletes — a dream that was achieved in late 2025 when she was selected for the Asia Cup able-bodied team.

Challenges, Injuries, or Legal Controversies

There are no documented legal controversies or contract disputes reported in credible sources. The main challenges in Sheetal’s career are technical and physical:

• Adapting to rule changes and equipment stability requirements, which required relearning aspects of her technique.
• Facing strong competition in able-bodied trials before finally winning selection in 2025. She previously failed to make the able-bodied team before succeeding later.

Sheetal Devi Net Worth 2026: Income Sources and Assets

Exact net worth estimates for 2026 are not publicly verified. However, her income sources likely include:

• Government sports stipends from the Sports Authority of India and National Sports Federations.
• Prize money from international archery events.
• Endorsements and sponsorships from Indian brands after 2024-2025 success.
• Possible public honors and grants associated with major awards like the Arjuna Award.

No confirmed real estate or investment disclosures are available in public records.

Current Status and Professional Evolution

As of early 2026, Sheetal Devi is recognized as a top para archer worldwide, maintaining her world ranking in the compound open category. She trains and competes internationally, including both para and able-bodied events. Her selection to the India able-bodied junior team is seen as a shift toward broader competition participation.

Legacy and Professional Impact

Sheetal Devi’s documented performance metrics — medals at Asian Games, World Para Championships, Paralympics, and her historic able-bodied team selection — form a concise record of competitive impact. She has expanded visibility for Indian para archers, challenged existing norms in sport classification, and set quantifiable performance benchmarks for future athletes.