Mumbai, September 28: Former India cricketers Yuvraj Singh and VVS Laxman hailed para-archer Sheetal Devi after she struck a gold medal at the Para World Archery Championship. Sheetal continued her impressive ascent in para-archery by winning the womenā€™s compound individual gold at the 2025 Para World Archery Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. She secured a close and exciting victory with a score of 146-143 against Turkiyeā€™s top-ranked Oznur Cure Girdi on Saturday. 'With All My Heart, for My Country' Sheetal Devi Reacts After Winning Historic Gold Medal for India at World Para Archery Championships 2025 (See Post).

In the singles final, Sheetal showed remarkable composure. After the first end was tied at 29-29, she took charge in the second end with three consecutive 10s, winning it 30-27. Although the third end was also tied at 29-29 and she narrowly lost the fourth, Sheetal maintained a slim 116-114 lead.

Yuvraj Singh CongratulatesĀ Sheetal Devi

VVS Laxman CongratulatesĀ Sheetal Devi

She saved her best performance for last, shooting three perfect arrows in the final end to secure the gold with a score of 146-143. Sheetal also competed alongside Sarita in the womenā€™s open team final. They started well, leading 38- 37 after the first end. However, after strong comebacks by Turkiyeā€™s Girdi and Bursa Fatma Un, the Indian team struggled under pressure.

A costly seven in the final end allowed the Turkish pair to finish with 39 points out of 40, winning the match 152-148 and earning India the silver medal. Earlier, Sheetal and Toman Kumar teamed up to win a mixed team bronze by defeating Great Britainā€™s Jodie Grinham and Nathan MacQueen with a score of 152-149. Sheetal Devi Gold Medal-Winning Moment: Watch 18-Year-Old Armless Archer Script History As She Becomes World Champion at World Para Archery Championships 2025 (Video Inside).

The gold-medal win marked a remarkable achievement for the 18-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir, who finished the championships with a total of three medals: gold in womenā€™s compound individual, silver in the compound womenā€™s open team event, and bronze in the mixed team competition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2025 04:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).