World Archery Para Ch’ships 2025: Sheetal Devi wins maiden gold

Sheetal Devi won her maiden World Archery Para Championships gold medal when she beat Turkiye’s Oznur Cure Girdi in the Women’s Compound Open final in Gwangju, Korea on Saturday, reports Sportstar.
Sheetal took the lead in the second round of the gold medal match and went on to maintain the strong start through the game to clinch the final 146-143.
The teenage paralympic athlete took down the three time World Championship gold medallist and the 2024 Paris Paralympics gold medallist.
The individual final was a tense battle but Sheetal stayed consistent and shot with composure. The first end was tied at 29-all, but Sheetal fired three 10s in the second end to take an early lead, winning it 30-27.
The third end was also tied at 29-all. Sheetal’s only slight lapse came in the fourth end, where she scored 28 as Girdi took it by one point, yet Sheetal still held a two-point lead at 116-114.
She then sealed her maiden gold with a flawless final end, hitting three perfect arrows for 30.
This was Sheetal’s third medal of the day after having won a silver and bronze in team events.
Earlier in the day, Sheetal Devi claimed silver in the compound women’s open team event alongside Sarita after losing to Turkiye in the final.
She then won the compound mixed team open bronze medal with Toman Kumar when they beat Nathan MacQueen and Jodie Grinham of Great Britain.
Shortly after in the compound men’s open bronze final, India’s Shyam Sunder Swami lost 141-148 to paralympic gold medallist Nathan McQueen of Britain.
Toman Kumar wins compound men open gold
Toman Kumar of India beat compatriot Rakesh Kumar to clinch the gold medal in the compound men open final at the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, Korea on Saturday.
Toman was crowned the champion after Rakesh suffered an equipment malfunction, which forced him to withdraw from the competition after four shots and settle for a silver.
Earlier, Toman edged past Shyam Sunder Swami 144-143 in the semifinal to qualify for the summit clash against Rakesh, who beat Britain’s Nathan McQueen 147-143.
Meanwhile, India’s Sheetal Devi secured her maiden Para Worlds gold in the Women’s Compound Open final when she beat Turkiye’s Oznur Cure Girdi. Sheetal took the lead in the second round of the gold medal match and went on to maintain the strong start through the game to clinch the final 146-143.