Indian athletes sustained their medal-winning momentum on the third day of the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, delivering standout performances across archery and track and field. World number one archer Sheetal Devi combined with compatriot Payal Nag to secure the silver medal in the women's doubles event. Facing the formidable Chinese pair of Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing in the final, the Indian duo fought hard before eventually going down by a scoreline of 141-150.
Tough Fight Against China In Archery Final
The Chinese pair established an early advantage in the championship decider and kept relentless pressure on the Indian team. Sheetal Devi displayed her signature accuracy, hitting the ten-ring four times during the contest. However, her teammate Payal Nag encountered difficulties finding the target consistently. After registering shots of eight and nine points earlier in the set, Payal managed only a seven on her final arrow, leaving India nine points adrift of the gold medal position.
This performance marked Sheetal Devi's second consecutive silver medal in the women's doubles category at the continental level. In the previous edition of the Asian Para Games, she had captured silver alongside Sarita Devi. With the doubles campaign concluded, Sheetal remains a top contender for the gold medal in the individual competition.
Defying Severe Adversity On The World Stage
The journey of both archers represents an extraordinary triumph of determination over adversity. Sheetal Devi, who hails from the village of Loi Dhar in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, was born without arms due to a rare congenital condition known as phocomelia. Her partner Payal Nag suffered catastrophic injuries at the age of eight following accidental contact with an 11,000-volt high-tension electrical wire, an incident that necessitated the surgical amputation of both her arms and legs.
Meanwhile, heartbreak followed in the men's doubles archery event, where the Indian pair of Toman Kumar and Shyam Sundar Swami missed out on a podium finish. Competing in the bronze medal playoff against China's Ai Xinliang and Zhang Yicheng, the Indian duo was edged out in a tense finish, losing by just a single point at 153-154.
Praveen Kumar Sets High Jump Mark As Bunty Claims Silver
India enjoyed a sensational one-two finish in the men's high jump T44/64 final. Praveen Kumar produced a remarkable leap of 2.05 metres, establishing a new record to claim the gold medal in style. Fellow Indian jumper Bunty took the silver medal after clearing a height of 1.92 metres, while Uzbekistan's Temurbek Giyazov rounded off the podium in third place with a best effort of 1.86 metres.
World Para Athletics conducts the T44 and T64 classifications together in a combined pool to ensure a sufficient number of participants and fair competition across lower limb disabilities. The T64 classification is designated for athletes competing with prosthetic lower limbs, whereas the T44 category encompasses athletes who possess lower limb impairments but perform without prosthetics.
