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Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar delivered an exceptional performance at the ongoing Paralympics, clinching the bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery competition. The Indian duo emerged victorious in a nail-biting third-place match against Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina.
The match was intensely competitive, with the Indian pair edging out their Italian opponents by just a single point. The decisive moment came when 17-year-old Sheetal Devi needed to score 10 with her fourth arrow to secure the win. Initially, her arrow seemed to score 9 points, but after a second check by the target judge, it was upgraded to 10, giving India a final scoreline of 156-155.
This victory marked a historic achievement for Indian archery. Sheetal Devi became the first Indian woman to win an archery medal at the Paralympics, and it was only the second time India had secured a medal in Paralympic archery. The first was Harvinder Singh’s bronze at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Sheetal Devi’s Touching Response After Securing Bronze at Paris Paralympics
The win was a moment of immense pride for the entire Indian contingent. Emotions ran high as a coaching staff member assisting Sheetal Devi could not hold back tears, and her coach, Kuldeep Vedwan, expressed visible pride from the stands.
In individual events, both Sheetal Devi and Rakesh had competed in archery at the Paris Paralympics but did not secure medals. However, their performance in the mixed doubles competition was commendable. They advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferellyin and Ken Swagumilang with a score of 154-143. In the semi-finals, they faced Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori, where the match ended in a tie with both teams scoring 152 points. The tie-breaker saw both teams scoring 10, but Iran’s arrow was closer to the bull’s eye, denying India a place in the final.
Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar’s bronze medal is a testament to their skill and determination, and it adds a significant chapter to India’s Paralympic archery history.
