Sheetal Devi is an Indian para-archer who was born without arms and uses her legs to shoot arrows. She is the first and only international female para-archery champion with this condition.
She has won several medals at the Asian Para Games and the World Archery Para Championships, and has qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
She is also the recipient of the Arjuna Award, one of the highest sporting honors in India.
Sheetal Devi Early Life and Education
Sheetal Devi was born on January 10, 2007, in Loidhar village, Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir. She was born with a rare condition called phocomelia, which meant her arms didn’t fully develop. Despite this challenge, she was fond of climbing trees using her legs, which helped her develop a strong upper body.
In 2019, Sheetal attended a youth event in Kishtwar where she was noticed by the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit. The army supported her education and provided medical assistance. They also introduced her to archery and trained her under coaches Abhilasha Chaudhary and Kuldeep Wadhwan.
Sheetal learned to shoot arrows with her feet and showed remarkable talent and confidence. She became the first and only international female para-archery champion without upper limbs.
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Sheetal Devi Career
In 2019, Sheetal Devi started training under the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit, who noticed her confidence and talent at a youth event in Kishtwar.
In 2022, she participated in her first international tournament, the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, where she won two gold medals and two silver medals in the women’s compound bow events.
In 2023, she received the Arjuna Award, one of the highest sporting honors in India, from the President of India on her 17th birthday.
In 2024, she qualified for the Paris Paralympic Games, where she will represent India in the women’s compound bow category.
Sheetal Devi Personal Life
Sheetal Devi is 17 years old and lives in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir. She is unmarried and has a younger sister named Shivani. Her parents are Mann Singh, a farmer, and Shakti Devi, a goatherd.
Sheetal Devi Net Worth
Sheetal Devi’s Net Worth is estimated to be around $60,000 as of 2024.
