Bhubaneswar, April 14: In the World Para Archery Series, India finished at the top with a total of 16 medals, including 7 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze.
Odia para-archer Payal Nag delivered an outstanding performance and won a gold medal. She created a major upset by defeating the world No. 1 para archer Sheetal Devi of India.
In the women’s compound final, the 18-year-old Payal defeated Sheetal with a score of 139–137. Earlier, in the women’s team compound event, the Payal–Sheetal pair had won a gold medal together.
Similarly, in the men’s team compound event, Toman Kumar and Shyamsundar Swami secured gold. In the men’s individual compound event, Toman Kumar also won gold, while Bhavana clinched gold in the women’s individual recurve event.
From Struggle to Success
Payal’s life story is nothing short of a movie script. She is the daughter of a migrant laborer from Balangir district. At the age of just 7, she came into contact with a live electric wire, resulting in severe injuries that led to the amputation of both her hands and legs.
She was later shifted to Parbati Giri Bal Niketan, where her talent was recognized by coach Kuldeep Vedwan, who also trains Sheetal Devi. He arranged for her to move to Jammu for professional training.
From 2023–24, Payal began training at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, Jammu.
Last year, she defeated Sheetal at the National Para Archery Championship in Jaipur. She then went on to win a silver medal at the Khelo India Para Games and a bronze medal at the National Championship earlier this year.
She started her international career last year at the Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, marking the beginning of her inspiring journey on the global stage.
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