India’s Sheetal Devi has made history by becoming the first armless woman archer to win a gold medal in the World Archery Championship 2025. Competing at the Para World Archery Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, she defeated Turkey’s World No.1 Oznur Cure Girdi with a score of 146–143 in the women’s compound individual final on Saturday, 27 September.
Her win came on a remarkable day for Indian archery, as Toman Kumar also secured gold in the men’s category, taking India’s medal tally to five at the event.
SHEETAL DEVI WORLD CHAMPION ALERT 🏆
India’s wonder archer Sheetal Devi does it again! 💥
Defeats reigning Paralympics & World champ Oznur (TUR) 146-143 to claim Compound Women’s GOLD at the Para Archery World Championships 🔥
Her medal haul this edition:
🥇 Comp Women… https://t.co/t39dm9k1fO pic.twitter.com/Pby10fDw8A— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) September 27, 2025
✨ Gold for India! 🏹🇮🇳
Toman Kumar clinches his maiden Gold in the Compound Men’s Individual, overcoming India’s Rakesh Kumar at the #WorldArcheryParaChampionships 2025 in Gwangju.A remarkable performance and a proud moment for archery! 💪#ArcheryIndia #TeamIndia #NTPC pic.twitter.com/SBN7PJvWdE
— ARCHERY ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (@india_archery) September 27, 2025
Who Is Sheetal Devi?
Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Sheetal was born without arms and learned to shoot using her feet and chin. She is the only armless competitor in the tournament and has previously earned worldwide praise for her determination and unique shooting style. Before this gold, she had already won bronze in the mixed team compound event alongside Toman Kumar and silver in the women’s team event with archer Sarita.
Sheetal Devi’s Journey
Sheetal’s road to gold was full of nail-biting moments. The final began with both players tied at 29–29, but Sheetal pulled ahead with three perfect 10s in the second round. Despite slight pressure in later rounds, she maintained her lead and sealed victory with another flawless 30 in the end.
In the semifinals, she had defeated Gr`eat Britain’s Jodie Grinham 145–140. This is not Sheetal’s first major win. She had previously faced Oznur Cure Girdi in the 2023 Pilsen World Championships, where she narrowly lost. This time, she took her revenge and claimed the top spot. With this victory, Sheetal Devi has become a symbol of courage and inspiration, proving that limits exist only in the mind.