Nagoya: Armless Indian archer Sheetal Devi barely had time to celebrate her first victory before returning to the range to secure her second gold medal at the Asian Para Games 2026. The 19-year-old orchestrated a remarkable comeback to claim the women's compound individual title on Thursday, edging past Singapore's Alim Nur Syahidah 142-139 in a tightly contested final.

Just under two hours after partnering with Toman Kumar to capture the compound mixed team gold, Sheetal returned to action at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square. The world champion once again demonstrated her resilience under pressure, recovering from a four-point disadvantage to earn her second gold and third overall medal of the current Games.

The final served as a rematch of the previous encounter at Hangzhou 2023, where Sheetal had similarly triumphed over Alim to secure the individual crown. With this latest victory, the Indian athlete successfully defended her title, further cementing her supremacy in the women's compound division.

The match proved challenging from the outset, as Alim mounted a strong start to build a four-point lead through the first two ends of six arrows apiece. Faced with mounting pressure, Sheetal mounted a spectacular response in the subsequent ends.

Sheetal executed a flawless series of six consecutive tens across the next two ends, featuring three center-bullseye shots. This brilliant surge completely shifted momentum, granting the Indian competitor a two-point advantage entering the final end.

Maintaining her composure under intense pressure, Sheetal fired three nines to close out her final end with 27 points. Alim attempted a late recovery, posting scores of nine, eight, and nine for a total of 26 points.

The performance secured a memorable triumph for Sheetal, adding another prestigious medal to her resume. Born without upper limbs, Sheetal has emerged as a groundbreaking figure in international sport, utilizing her feet and legs to manipulate her compound bow while employing her shoulder and jaw to pull and release the string.

This individual gold marked Sheetal's third podium finish at the ongoing competition, following her two gold medals on Thursday and a silver in the women's doubles compound event alongside Payal Nag. Having previously enjoyed a stellar campaign at the 2022 edition with dual gold medals and a silver, Sheetal once again proved her capacity to excel on the major international stage.