Paralympic medalist Sheetal Devi defeated quadruple amputee Payal Nag of Odisha to win the gold in the Khelo India Para Games 2025 clash on Sunday.
In the face-off between the teenagers, Sheetal bounced back to capture her second consecutive gold medal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
“Firstly, Payal played very well in the final and with her continuous hard work, she will definitely get a medal for India soon. Personally, I am grateful for all the blessings bestowed by Mata Rani that I won my second gold medal at the Khelo India Para Games,” Sheetal told SAI Media.
Sheetal, 18, won 109-103 in their compound archery open final match.
Payal, 17, lost all four limbs due to electrocution when she was a child. She shoots with prosthetic legs.
“Earlier, I used to shoot the arrows with two devices in my prosthetic legs but now, I’m shooting with just one leg. It was a problem adjusting but I still reached the final despite the discomfort and also there was a lot of windy conditions today. But I am happy to have competed in the final and got the silver,” she said.
Payal also got philosophical, saying, “The sunny conditions, heat and the wind are nothing compared to the struggles and the pain we have faced through life. We have to play through it all.”
Sheetal had started with the scores of 8 and 7 while Payal began with double 10s. Sheetal clinched victory in the final round.
Meanwhile, in the men’s recurve, Jharkhand’s Vijay Sundi beat Haryana’s Vikas Bhakar 6-4 while Haryana’s Pooja won the women’s recurve open gold after beating Maharashtra’s Rajshri Rathod 6-4.
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