WATCH: Sheetal Devi Gets Emotional After Winning Paralympics Medal In Archery – News18

Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar had a brilliant performance at the ongoing Paralympics as the Indian duo clinched the bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery competition.

The Indian duo triumphed over Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina in the third-place match. It was a close fixture as the Indian pair edged past their opponents by just a point.

With her last arrow, Sheetal had to score 10 with her fourth arrow to win the game. Initially, it seemed the 17-year-old could manage 9 points but the target judge gave it a second check and her shot was upgraded to 10. The Indian archer finally sealed the deal with a scoreline of 156-155.

It was undoubtedly a proud moment for every member of the Indian contingent. A coaching staff member who was assisting Sheetal Devi during the match could not hold back her tears. Her coach, Kuldeep Vedwan was also present in the stands. He was visibly proud of his student, who became the first Indian woman to win an archery medal in the history of the Paralympics.

It was only the second time that India has claimed a medal in Paralympic archery. Three years ago, Harvinder Singh won an individual bronze at the Tokyo Games. Both Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar competed in individual archery events in Paris but failed to secure any medals. In the mixed doubles competition, the Indian archers beat Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferellyin and Ken Swagumilang 154-143 to reach the semi-finals.

Sheetal and Rakesh put up a commanding performance in the last-four match where they clashed against Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori. Each team scored 152 points, forcing a shoot-off. Both teams scored 10 in the tie-breaker but the Iranian archer’s arrow was closer to the bull’s eye.

The Paralympic bronze is unquestionably the career highlight for Sheetal Devi. The youngster has a rare rare congenital disorder named phocomelia. The condition did not let Sheetal’s arms form fully.

Meanwhile, Rakesh Kumar sustained a spinal cord injury. He might have recovered in 2009 but it was confirmed that the 39-year-old would spend his entire life in the wheelchair. Rakesh sunk into depression and even tried to take his own life.