India’s Armless Archer Stuns at Paralympic Rankings

Sheetal Devi, a 17-year-old armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir, secured second place in the women's individual compound open ranking round for the Paris Paralympics. Scoring 703 out of 720 points, she directly advanced to the round of 16. Devi, born with phocomelia syndrome, has already made history at the Asian Para Games.

Sheetal Devi, the 17-year-old archer from Jammu and Kashmir, displayed a masterclass at the Paris Paralympics women's individual compound open ranking round, finishing in second place. Using her legs to shoot, Devi scored 703 points out of a possible 720.

Trailing just behind Turkey's Oznur Girdi Cure, who set a new world record with 704 points, Devi pushed past the previous record of 698 points set by Phoebe Pine Paterson of Great Britain. Devi's top-four finish earned her a direct entry into the round of 16.

Born with phocomelia syndrome and discovered by the Indian Army, Devi has been breaking barriers. She was the first armless woman to win a medal at the Para World Archery Championships and secured two golds at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China last year.