New Delhi: India’s Sheetal Devi was honoured with the ‘Para Archer of the Year 2025’ award by World Archery. The latest honour is yet another feather in her cap in her long list of extraordinary achievements, which also includes a landmark world championship crown.
The 19-year-old Jammu & Kashmir youngster holds the record for becoming the first and only female armless archer to win gold at the World Para Archery Championships. She claimed the top honours in the women’s compound individual event in Gwangju, South Korea, last year.
Born without arms, Sheetal, remarkably, uses her feet, legs, and shoulder to draw the bow and shoot. She is one of the very few para athletes to complete the full set of medals at the World Championships, winning the women’s team silver and mixed team bronze.
“India’s Sheetal Devi took the honour in the para archer of the year category after another breakthrough season that included a world title in Gwangju,” said World Archery.
Besides her World Championship gold, Sheetal also has a Paris Paralympics bronze in the mixed team event in her medal cabinet. At such a young age, she has won a plethora of medals on the global stage, including individual silvers at the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok.
Sheetal Devi elated after winning top honour
“Nominated alongside the best para archers in the world… and now named the best para archer by @worldarchery – this one feels deeply personal. A heart filled with gratitude, with emotion, with everything this journey has held. Thank you,” Sheetal, an Arjuna awardee, posted on ‘X’ on Monday.
Nominated alongside the best para archers in the world… and now named the best para archer by @worldarchery – this one feels deeply personal.
A heart filled with gratitude, with emotion, with everything this journey has held. Thank you pic.twitter.com/broXb2fg48
— Sheetal Devi Archery 🇮🇳 (@sheetal_archery) March 30, 2026
“The 2025 World Archery Awards honour the season’s most exceptional athletes and officials for their excellence, fair play and dedication to the sport,” it added.
Launched in 2011, the yearly awards honour excellence and outstanding contributions to the sport, appreciating and honouring the athletes and support staff who have made a big mark on the international archery season.
The awards were presented across eight categories this year, including ‘Archer of the Year,’ which was won by Emircan Haney of Turkey; ‘Young Archer of the Year,’ awarded to Baptiste Addis of France; and ‘Best Team of the Year,’ clinched by Korea’s recurve men’s team.