WATCH: Sheetal Devi becomes World Champion, makes history with Gold at Para World Archery Championship
India’s Sheetal Devi kept her great form going at the Para World Archery Championships on Saturday, September 27. She beat Turkey’s top player Oznur Cure Girdi 146-143 to win gold in the women’s compound individual event in Gwangju.
Where is the video?
THE HISTORICAL MOMENTS FOLKS!
India’s First Ever Individual Para Archery World Champion – Sheetal Devi pic.twitter.com/5G58Wr4mGj
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) September 27, 2025
What about Sheetal Devi’s past performances?
This win is Sheetal’s third medal at the competition. Earlier, she won a mixed team bronze with Toman Kumar by defeating Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham and Nathan MacQueen 152-149. In the compound women’s open team event, Sheetal and Sarita earned silver after losing to Turkey in the final.
How was the final?
The singles final was a close and tense match, but Sheetal stayed calm the whole time. The first round ended in a tie at 29-29. In the second round, she scored three perfect 10s and took the lead by winning 30-27. The third round was tied again at 29-29. She lost the fourth round by just one point but still stayed ahead with a total of 116-114. In the final round, she shot perfectly with three arrows scoring 30 points to win the gold.
How did she perform in the semi-final?
In the semifinals, the archer from Jammu and Kashmir showed her strength by beating Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham 145-140. The final match was a repeat of the 2023 Pilsen World Championships, where Girdi had just beaten Sheetal 140-138. This time, Sheetal won and changed the result.
More details you need to know
In the compound women’s open team final, Sheetal and Sarita began well but were beaten by the Turkish team of Oznur Cure Girdi and Bursa Fatma Un, 148-152. The Indian duo started strong, winning the first round 38-37 and scoring three 10s in their first four shots. But the Turkish team fought back in the second round, hitting three 10s and a nine to tie the score at 76-76.
The momentum kept changing in the third round as the Indian team got nervous and scored only 36, while Turkey scored 37. In the last round, Girdi and Un shot almost perfectly, scoring 39 out of 40. The Indian team scored 36, with one arrow hitting the 7-ring, which gave Turkey the gold by four points.
Even though the team lost, Sheetal’s individual performance showed her strong mindset and great skill, proving she is one of India’s best para-archers.