India ended World Archery Para Series Stage III in Ahmedabad on a high note with Sheetal Devi winning gold in the women’s compound individual event. The reigning world champion held her nerve in a dramatic shoot-off against Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan to win the title.
The 19-year-old Indian and Seidan were locked at 144-144 after five ends and faced a shoot-off to decide the winner. Sheetal took a 10 on the last shot and Seidan took a nine. Sheetal won her first individual gold medal on the World Archery Para Series circuit.
India finished the last day with two gold and four bronze medals, and their overall medal count at this event is now six. The performance also represented the country’s increasing interest in para archery ahead of the Asian Para Games.
Sheetal Devi Keeps Her Nerve Under Pressure
The gold-medal competition was very close from the beginning. Both archers started strongly, with Sheetal and Seidan scoring 30s in the opening end. They were level at 59 after two ends.
Seidan then moved one point ahead in the third end with 28, while Sheetal scored 27. The Kazakh archer kept that advantage going into the final end and Sheetal was under pressure.
The Indian came back with 29 in the last end, while Seidan scored 28. That put the score at 144-144 and the match was now a shoot-off.
Sheetal’s last arrow was an X, the innermost part of the 10-ring used to break ties. Seidan could only manage a nine, giving the Indian archer a memorable victory in front of the home crowd.
It was another big step in Sheetal’s fast-growing career. She already reached qualification at the Ahmedabad event with a season-best score of 698, beating her own Asian record by one point. She also beat the field by 10 points in qualification.
Sheetal Devi is the Champion of the World Archery Para Series 2026!
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) September 9, 2026
With a remarkable performance, she has clinched her first individual title on the World Archery Para Series circuit, creating a proud moment for India.
Best wishes for the upcoming Para-Asian Games. pic.twitter.com/OVzgQPj8gT
India Collects Six Medals In Ahmedabad
Sheetal was not the only Indian archer to shine at the event. Harvinder Singh and Bhawna also won gold in the para recurve mixed team competition and defeated China in the final.
Sarita received another bronze medal in the women's compound individual event after losing to Sheetal in the semifinal. India’s performance in individual and team events helped the country finish the final day with two gold and four bronze medals.
India had already made several strong performances earlier in this competition. The men’s recurve and compound teams won gold medals on the penultimate day while the women’s recurve team of Bhawna and Pooja got silver.
Sheetal's win in Ahmedabad was a big deal for her career. The world No. 1 para compound archer will now turn her attention to the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games where she will defend her individual and mixed team titles.
Her latest victory also demonstrates how comfortable she has become in high-pressure situations. Sheetal delivered when the contest came down to a single arrow after being pushed all the way by Seidan.
With the World Archery Para Series title secured on home soil, Sheetal has added another major achievement to an already impressive career. India will go into the Asian Para Games with a lot of confidence after a strong performance in Ahmedabad.
