It was the kind of day athletes dream about and almost never get. On Thursday morning, Sheetal Devi stood on top of the podium in Japan with a gold medal around her neck. By the afternoon, she was back up there again. Two events, two gold medals, one extraordinary day at the Asian Para Games 2026.
The 19-year-old archer from Jammu and Kashmir has now collected three medals at these Games, and the week is not even over. What she did on Thursday at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square will be talked about in Indian sport for a long time.
A final that looked lost, then was won
The women’s compound individual final had a familiar face across the target. Singapore’s Nur Syahidah Alim, the same opponent Sheetal had beaten in the Hangzhou 2023 final, came out firing and built a four-point lead after the first two ends. For a while, it looked like the Singaporean might finally get her revenge.
Then Sheetal did what she does. Over the next two ends she found a rhythm that bordered on the unreal, landing six arrows in the 10-ring, three of them in the innermost X-ring. Just like that, a four-point deficit became a two-point lead.
The final three arrows were pure nerve. Sheetal shot three 9s for 27 points. Alim needed to match it and could not, managing 9, 8 and 9 for 26. Final score: 142-139. The individual title was defended.
Gold number one came hours earlier
What makes Thursday remarkable is that the individual gold was not even Sheetal’s first win of the day. A couple of hours before the final, she had teamed up with Toman Kumar to take the compound mixed team gold, beating Indonesia’s Teodara Audi Ayudia and Ken Swagumilang 151-148.
The Indian pair started strong, took a narrow 38-37 lead after the first end, and stretched it to 77-73 by the halfway mark. They never let Indonesia back in, closing it out 151-148 to give India its first archery gold of this edition.
Wednesday’s silver completes the set
Sheetal’s week actually began on Wednesday with a silver in the women’s compound doubles alongside Payal Nag. The Indian pair had topped the qualification round but lost the final to China’s Xueqing Xu and Jing Zhao, who won 150-141.
So the count for the week reads: gold, gold, silver. Three medals in three days.
Hangzhou, all over again
If this sounds familiar, it should. At the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Para Games, Sheetal won the same two golds (individual compound and mixed team, that time with Rakesh Kumar) plus a silver. Back then she became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games. In 2026, she has simply done it again.
Her rise has been one of the defining stories of Indian para sport. She won the Arjuna Award in 2023, and her biggest success so far remains the mixed team bronze at the 2024 Paralympics. At 19, she keeps adding chapters.
India’s medal rush continues
Sheetal’s double gold headlined another strong day for India at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Suvarna Raj took gold in the women’s discus throw F54, while Swati Chaudhary added an archery silver in the women’s W1 event. India’s tally moved to 73 medals, including 17 golds, keeping the country fifth in the overall standings behind China, Japan, Uzbekistan and Korea.
FAQs
How many medals has Sheetal Devi won at the Asian Para Games 2026?
Three so far: gold in the women’s compound individual event, gold in the compound mixed team event with Toman Kumar, and silver in the women’s compound doubles with Payal Nag.
Who did Sheetal Devi beat in the individual final?
Singapore’s Nur Syahidah Alim, 142-139. It was a repeat of the Hangzhou 2023 final, which Sheetal also won.
How did she win the mixed team gold?
Sheetal and Toman Kumar beat Indonesia’s Teodara Audi Ayudia and Ken Swagumilang 151-148 in the compound mixed team final.
What is Sheetal Devi’s biggest career achievement?
Her bronze in the mixed team event at the 2024 Paralympics is her biggest success so far, along with her Arjuna Award in 2023.
Where is India in the Asian Para Games 2026 medal table?
India is fifth with 73 medals, including 17 golds.
Two golds in one day, three medals in three days, and a title defended against the same opponent. At 19, Sheetal Devi is not just winning medals, she is building a legacy. India will be watching what she does next.
