Nagoya (Japan): Indian para-archers Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag secured the silver medal in the women’s compound doubles event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday after losing to China’s Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing in the final.
The Indian pair put up a determined performance but went down 141-150 to the Chinese duo, finishing second in the event.
Sheetal, the defending champion in the women’s compound individual event, had made an impressive start to her campaign on Monday by equalling the world record in the women’s compound qualification round.
The 18-year-old scored 704 points out of a possible 720, matching the world record held by Turkiye’s Oznur Cure Girdi.
The performance also saw Sheetal improve her own Asian record of 698, set in Bangkok in March, by six points. She also raised the Asian Para Games record from 680 to 704.
Sheetal subsequently partnered with Payal, a quadruple-amputee archer, in the women’s compound doubles qualification round. The Indian duo registered a combined score of 1,379 points, setting new Asian and Games records and surpassing the previous Asian record of 1,378.
Payal contributed 675 points to the total, helping the pair secure the top position in the qualification rankings.
Sheetal also teamed up with Toman Kumar in the compound mixed team qualification round, where the reigning world champions and world number ones registered a combined score of 1,402 points.
Their performance broke the previous world record of 1,400 points, also held by India, as several records were rewritten in Okazaki.
Meanwhile, Payal’s silver medal marked another significant achievement in her emerging international career.
The 18-year-old para-archer from Balangir, Odisha, lost all four limbs in a high-voltage electrocution accident during childhood. She subsequently learned to perform daily activities using her mouth and later took up archery after being inspired by Sheetal Devi.
Under the guidance of her coach, Payal developed her skills in compound archery using a specialised mouth-operated mechanism and customised equipment.
She is among the first athletes with quadruple limb loss to compete successfully in international archery competitions.
Payal rose to prominence in 2025 with podium finishes at the Indian Para Archery Championships and a silver medal at the second Khelo India Games that year.
She made her international debut at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, marking an important milestone in her sporting career.
The silver medal at the Asian Para Games 2026 adds to her achievements and highlights the growing strength of India’s para-archery contingent.
[DD news]