World Archery Para Championships 2025: What Sheetal Devi said after defeatig world number one archer to bag Gold
India's Sheetal Devi has won the gold medal at the World Archery Para Championships-2025.
Held in Gwangju, South Korea, Sheetal Devi defeated world number one para archer Oznur Cure Girdi from Turkey 146-143 in the women's compound open final.
Girdi is a three-time world champion and gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
This is Sheetal Devi's third medal at this championship. Previously, Sheetal and Sarita won the silver medal in the compound women's open team category.
Sheetal also won a bronze medal in the compound mixed team event with Toman Kumar.
'I had a dream I would become world champion'
”I had a dream I would become world champion. It made me want to work. I worked and worked and today I’ve got such a good result,” said Devi.
The journey of Sheetal Devi, born with a rare congenital disorder that left her without arms, is perhaps the greatest legacy of the original ‘armless archer’ Matt Stutzman, who inspired both her and several other para archers to take up the sport.
Still only 18 years old, Sheetal’s career as a performance athlete rocketed after winning her first major in 2022 at the Asian Games, and a silver in Pilsen followed by mixed team bronze in Paris saw her familiar with the biggest podiums.
The match against Girdi was a re-run of the 2023 final in Pilsen. ”The pressure wasn't great. I controlled myself and shot very calmly. My heartbeat wasn’t so fast, so there was less pressure. It felt amazing just to be in the finals again,” said Sheetal Devi.