Gains acceptance to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris; makes history as the first “armless woman archer”
At the 2016 Para-Archery World Championship in the Czech Republic, a 16-year-old girl named Sheetal Devi, who hails from the tiny village of Loi Dhar in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, stunned the archery world by winning silver.
Pro-Defense Lt. Col. Suneel Bartwal told Greater Kashmir that despite winning gold and bronze in other categories at the Para-Archery World Championship in the Czech Republic, Bartwal’s silver medal victory was still significant because it allowed her to qualify for the upcoming Para Olympics in Paris in 2024.
Sheetal’s rise from obscurity to worldwide fame, despite the fact that she was born without hands (Phocomelia), is inspiring.
During a 2019 youth event at Mughal Maidan, Sheetal was seen by the Indian army’s Rashtriya Rifles. The Indian military took her under its wing, funding her schooling and arranging for medical care because of her remarkable aptitude and determination. Sheetal was given bionic arms thanks to the tireless work of Meghna Girish of Bengaluru, actor Anupam Kher, and the non-profit organisation The Being You, according to Lt. Col. Suneel Bartwal, PRO of the Indian Defence Forces.
Since then, Sheetal has been an inspiration to people all across the globe because to her dogged determination and incredible accomplishments.
Lt. Col. Bartwal said that the mountain lifestyle had made the officer more resilient and fueled an unshakable will to triumph over any difficulty.
He claims that Sheetal’s archery abilities were polished via extensive training with National Coach of Archery (Paralympics) Kuldeep Baidwan. She first gained recognition for her extraordinary skills when she won many national archery tournaments.
“Sheetal’s extraordinary journey came to a head at the Para-Archery World Championship in the Czech Republic, where she secured Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals,” Lt Col Bartwal stated.
Having won silver in the Para-Archery World Championship, she is now in a strong position to compete at the future Para Olympics in Paris in 2024. Her life “serves as an inspiration to countless individuals around the world, encouraging them to relentlessly pursue their dreams and break down barriers that may seem insurmountable,” he said.
