The banks of Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Riverfront witnessed sporting history this week. Hosting its first-ever World Archery Para Series event, India didn't just stage a world-class international tournament—the host contingent put on an absolute shooting clinic, hauling in a remarkable 15 medals (4 gold, 3 silver, and 8 bronze).
At the very epicenter of this triumph stood two familiar national heroes: 19-year-old sensation Sheetal Devi and Paris 2024 Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh. From nerve-shredding shoot-offs to clinical straight-set sweeps, here is how India’s talismanic archers ruled the targets on home soil.
Sheetal Devi’s Ice-in-the-Veins Shoot-Off Gold
If anyone needed a reminder of why Sheetal Devi is the reigning world champion and world No. 1 in compound archery, Wednesday’s individual final provided an unforgettable exhibition of composure.
The teenage sensation faced a relentless challenge from Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan. Through four tense ends, neither archer gave an inch:
-
Ends 1 & 2: Both archers traded near-flawless arrows, deadlocked at 59-all.
-
End 3 & 4: Seidan edged ahead by one point (28 to 27 in the 3rd), carrying a razor-thin lead into the finale.
-
End 5: Needing perfection, Sheetal drilled a 29 against Seidan’s 28 to knot the match at 144–144, pushing the contest into sudden death.
With the home crowd holding its collective breath, Sheetal stepped up for the single-arrow shoot-off. Drawing the bow smoothly with her right leg and foot and triggering the release from her shoulder, she drilled an unequivocal 10 right into the heart of the target. When Seidan’s arrow found the 9-ring, the arena erupted.
"In a shoot-off, your heart is racing, but you have to trust your muscle memory. Shooting in front of our home crowd in India gave me the extra push when it counted most." — Sheetal Devi
Record-Breaking Week
The individual crown was Sheetal’s first individual World Archery Para Series title, capping off a historic five days where she also:
-
Set a New World Record: Partnered with Rakesh Kumar in qualification to shoot 1,400 / 1,440, eclipsing their own Paris 2024 Paralympic record of 1,399.
-
Asian Qualification Record: Top-seeded the women's compound field with a season-best 698.
-
Mixed Team Bronze: Teaming up with Toman Kumar, defeated Iraq 157–145 to lock up a podium finish.
Harvinder Singh’s Recurve Masterclass: A Golden Double
While Sheetal provided heart-stopping drama in compound archery, Harvinder Singh brought surgical precision to the recurve range, walking away from Ahmedabad with two gold medals.
1. Recurve Mixed Team Gold (w/ Bhawna)
Teaming up with Bhawna, Harvinder took on China’s Liang Qiurong and Xia Lei in the mixed team decider. What was billed as a marquee clash turned into an Indian masterclass:
-
Set 1: 35–31
-
Set 2: 36–33
-
Set 3: 34–32
Harvinder and Bhawna swept the Chinese pair 6–0 in straight sets, barely allowing their opponents into the contest. Bhawna carried that momentum into the women's recurve event to take individual bronze as well.
2. Recurve Men’s Doubles Gold (w/ Vijay Sundi)
Earlier in the week, Harvinder joined forces with Vijay Sundi in the men's recurve doubles. Showing trademark calm in shifting river breezes, the Indian duo dismantled Slovakia 6–2 to secure India's first gold of the meet.
India’s Complete Gold Medalists in Ahmedabad
|
Event |
Athlete(s) |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
Women’s Individual Compound |
Sheetal Devi |
Def. Aizada Seidan (KAZ) in Shoot-off (144–144, 10–9) |
|
Recurve Mixed Team |
Harvinder Singh & Bhawna |
Def. Liang Qiurong & Xia Lei (CHN) 6–0 |
|
Men’s Recurve Doubles |
Harvinder Singh & Vijay Sundi |
Def. Slovakia 6–2 |
|
Men’s Compound Doubles |
Toman Kumar & Shyam Sunder Swami |
Def. Iraq 152–139 |
The Road Ahead: Momentum for the Asian Para Games
The timing of this dominant display could not be better. With the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya rapidly approaching, the Indian para archery contingent has proven that its stellar showing in Paris was no anomaly.
Between Sheetal Devi's calm under maximum duress and Harvinder Singh’s seasoned tactical consistency, India has cemented its status as an international archery superpower.
