Asian Para Games: Sheetal Devi Shoots Four 10s as India Wins Women’s Compound Doubles Silver

The women's double pair of India, consisting of Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag secured silver after a loss to China in the gold medal match on Wednesday at the Para Asian Games. Swati Chaudhary and Adil Muhammad Nazir Ansari bagged the bronze medal in the mixed team W1 recurve competition. Sheetal, who was born without arms, and Payal, who suffers from hand and foot disability, were defeated by China's Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing 141-150 in the gold medal match.

The Indians had a difficult time dealing with the Chinese since the beginning. Sheetal performed better and shot fours 10s while Payal could not keep up with her and shot only seven in her last arrow. Earlier, she had scored only nine and eight points respectively. It was the second consecutive silver medal for Sheetal in this discipline. At the last Asian Para Games, she had claimed the second place in a pair with Sarita Devi. She is a favorite for gold in the individual category.

Sheetal, a resident of Loidhar village in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, was born armless due to a rare congenital condition called phocomelia. At the age of eight, Payal came in contact with an 11,000-volt high-tension power line, resulting in the amputation of her arms and legs.