Sheetal Devi has given India plenty to cheer about at the World Archery Para Series Amdavad 2026, following a record-breaking qualification round with a place in the women’s compound gold-medal match.
The Indian para archer, who has been one of the biggest names of the tournament, first made headlines alongside compatriot Rakesh Kumar when the pair broke their own world record in the compound mixed-team qualification. They scored 1,400 points, bettering the 1,399 they had recorded at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Sheetal carried the momentum into the individual competition, topping the women’s compound ranking round before defeating compatriot Sarita in the semifinal to secure her place in the final.
She will now take on Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan, who was the second seed after qualification, for gold. Sarita, meanwhile, will face China’s Wang Huiting in the bronze-medal match.
For Sheetal, who has already established herself as one of the most recognisable figures in Indian para sport, another strong performance in Ahmedabad could add another significant chapter to her rapidly growing international record.
The results have not been as kind to all of India’s archers, however.
In the men’s compound event, Toman Singh has reached the bronze-medal match and will face Iraq’s Kadhim Abbas. Abbas had earlier eliminated India’s Rakesh Kumar in the round of 16, ending the run of the archer who had finished second in the ranking round.
Recurve archers face early exits
India endured a difficult day in the men’s recurve competition.
Gurvinder Singh, who was ranked third after qualification and received a bye in the opening round, was knocked out in the round of 16 by China’s Gan Jun.
Sehajveer Singh, who also had a first-round bye, suffered the same fate, losing to Slovakia’s Ivan David.
PRM archers Parveen and Sundi Vijay were also unable to advance beyond the round of 16.
All-Indian bronze battle in para recurve
The women’s para recurve event will feature another India-versus-India medal contest.
Bhawna, the third seed after qualification, reached the semifinal before losing to Iran’s second-seeded Somayeh Rahimi Ghahderijani. She will now meet compatriot Rajshri Dhanraj Rathod for bronze.
Rathod had advanced from the round of 16 after a close win over fellow Indian Pooja before continuing her run through the knockout stages. Her defeat later in the competition set up the all-Indian bronze-medal clash.
Swati keeps W1 medal hopes alive
In the men’s W1 category, Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari was unable to make the semifinals after losing to Czechia’s David Drahoninsky.
India’s Nurudin, Naveen Dalal and Vinayak Amol Breed also bowed out in the round of 16.
The women’s W1 event has kept another Indian medal hope alive, with Swati Chaudhary advancing to the bronze-medal match against Russia’s Elena Krutova.
Anjum Tanwar and Shriya Joshi exited in the round of 16, while Vasundhra Teotia was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
India feature strongly in visually impaired category
The visually impaired competition has also produced an interesting set of match-ups, with India featuring prominently in the later stages.
Top seed Christos Misos, the only non-Indian archer in the field, will face India’s Yugal Garg for a place in the gold-medal contest.
There will also be an all-Indian battle between Pawan Kumar and Tanvi Pravin Ingale, with the winner moving towards the gold-medal match and the loser remaining in contention for bronze.
India’s Payal Nag, competing in the quadruple para archery event, could not make it through to the round of 16 after losing to China’s Huiting.
Lalpayi, who received a bye in the first round, also exited in the round of 16.
Ahmedabad wins praise beyond the shooting line
While the medals and results have dominated the competition, the tournament in Ahmedabad has also been drawing attention for what is happening away from the shooting line.
The atmosphere around the event has been positive, with international athletes praising the organisation and the facilities provided for the competition. Some have spoken favourably about the overall experience, with comparisons being made to the scale and standards seen at major multi-sport events such as the Paralympics and Asian Games.
That reception fits into a much larger sporting ambition for Ahmedabad.
The World Archery Para Series was inaugurated on September 4 by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, who said the competition would showcase Ahmedabad’s potential as a destination for international sport.
With 108 athletes from 19 countries taking part, the event has brought archers from countries including Bhutan, the UK, China, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Indonesia and the United States to the city.
Shah said the sporting infrastructure being developed in Ahmedabad would be built to international standards and could serve athletes not only from India but from around the world. He also outlined ambitions for India to become a centre for sports training, sports equipment and engineering, sports medicine, injury treatment and rehabilitation.
The minister pointed to Gujarat’s growing international sporting calendar and Ahmedabad’s plans to host major events in the years ahead, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games, while also expressing confidence in the city’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.
For now, however, the focus remains on the archers.
And with Sheetal Devi fighting for gold, Toman Singh and Swati Chaudhary chasing bronze, and more Indian athletes still involved in the medal stages, Ahmedabad has already provided plenty of reasons to keep watching.