Sheetal Devi Leads India’s Strong Finish at World Para Archery Series 2026

India finished the World Para Archery Series 2026 on a high as Sheetal Devi claimed the women’s compound individual gold in Ahmedabad, leading a strong medal haul for the host nation on the concluding day.

Sheetal overcame Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan in a dramatic final that went down to a shoot-off after the two archers finished level at 144-144. The Indian prevailed 10-9 in the decider to secure the title and underline her ability to handle pressure in the most demanding moments.

The gold was one of six medals won by India on the final day of competition. The host nation eventually finished second in the overall standings with four gold, three silver and eight bronze medals. Czechia topped the table with five gold medals. For Sheetal, the individual triumph was the highlight of a productive day. She also contributed to India’s success in the compound mixed team competition, partnering Toman Kumar to defeat Iraq’s Hameed Sarah and Kadhim Abbas 157-145 in the bronze-medal contest.

The Indian then returned to the range for the women’s compound final, where Seidan provided a stern challenge. Neither archer could create separation across the regulation match, forcing the gold medal to be decided by a single-arrow shoot-off. Sheetal held her nerve when it mattered most, producing a 10 to Seidan’s 9.

Her double-medal contribution was part of a broader Indian showing that saw the country collect gold, silver and bronze across the recurve, compound, W1 and visually impaired categories.

Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh was another major contributor to India’s gold-medal tally. He joined Bhawna to win the recurve mixed team title, with the Indian pair producing a commanding 6-0 victory over China’s Liang Qiurong and Xia Lei. Harvinder added another gold alongside Vijay Sundi in the men’s recurve team event. The Indian duo defeated Slovakia’s David Ivan and Denis Ivan 6-2 to finish on top and further strengthen India’s presence in the recurve categories.

Bhawna also featured in another medal-winning performance, although this time she had to settle for bronze. She defeated compatriot Rajshri Rathod 6-0 in an all-Indian contest for third place in the women’s recurve individual event.

The women’s recurve team competition brought another medal for India. Pooja and Bhawna reached the final but were unable to overcome China’s Liang Qiurong and Chen Yu, losing 0-6 to take silver. The compound categories also produced multiple podium finishes for the Indian contingent. Fourth seed Toman Kumar secured bronze in the men’s individual compound event after beating Iraq’s Kadhim Abbas 143-138.

Sarita added another bronze in the women’s compound competition, edging China’s Wang Huiting 141-140 in a closely fought medal contest.

India’s men also enjoyed success in the compound team event. Shyam Swami and Toman Kumar combined effectively to defeat Iraq’s Abbas and Anwer Aldawod 152-139 and claim the gold medal. There was disappointment in the women’s compound team bronze-medal match, where Sheeta and Payal Neg were beaten by China’s Wang Huiting and Gao Fangxia 140-149.

The W1 category brought another Indian bronze through Swati Chaudhary, who defeated Elena Krutova 6-2. India also featured prominently in the visually impaired events. Tanvi Ingale narrowly missed out on gold after losing 4-6 to Cyprus’ Christos Misos in the VI1 final. Yugal Garg, however, ensured another medal for India by defeating compatriot Pawan Kumar 6-2 to win bronze.

In the mixed team W1 recurve/compound final, India’s Adil Ansari and Swati Chaudhary were unable to complete the gold-medal run. They lost 1-5 to Czechia’s David Drahoninsky and Sarka Pultar Musilova.

While Sheetal’s individual gold provided the headline moment, India’s performance in Ahmedabad was ultimately defined by its depth. Medals came across several categories, with established Paralympic champions competing alongside emerging archers and the host contingent consistently challenging for podium places. The four gold, three silver and eight bronze medals also placed India ahead of several strong para-archery nations in the overall standings, with only Czechia finishing above them.

For Sheetal, meanwhile, the victory adds another significant achievement to a rapidly developing career. Winning a final after a tied score and succeeding in a shoot-off requires both technical precision and composure, and her 10-9 finish against Seidan demonstrated both.

With the World Para Archery Series concluding on home soil, India can take considerable confidence from the breadth of its performances. The Ahmedabad event showcased the country's strength in both recurve and compound disciplines and provided several Indian archers with valuable experience against international opposition.

The final day belonged to the host nation’s medal-winning depth, but Sheetal Devi’s shoot-off triumph stood out as the defining moment of India’s campaign.