India closed out its first-ever World Archery Para Series event on a high note. Reigning world champion Sheetal Devi won gold in the women’s individual compound event on the final day of competition at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Her victory came in dramatic fashion, via a shoot-off against Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan, after the gold medal match ended locked at 144-144.
Sheetal’s win capped a strong overall showing from the host nation. India finished the five-day event, held from September 5 to 9, 2026, with a total of 15 medals: four gold, three silver, and eight bronze, according to Olympics.com. The tournament marked the first time India had ever hosted a World Archery Para Series event.
Quick Facts: World Archery Para Series 2026, Ahmedabad
- Event: World Archery Para Series (WAPS) 2026, Stage 3
- Dates: September 5-9, 2026
- Venue: Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad
- Historic first: India’s first time hosting a World Archery Para Series event
- India’s total medal haul: 15 (4 gold, 3 silver, 8 bronze)
- Star performer: Sheetal Devi, gold in women’s individual compound
- Sheetal’s opponent in the final: Aizada Seidan (Kazakhstan)
- Final score: 144-144 (tied), won via shoot-off, 10-9
- Sheetal’s age: 19
- Sheetal’s world ranking: No. 1
Sheetal Devi’s Historic Gold: How It Unfolded
Sheetal Devi and Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan produced one of the tournament’s tightest finals. Both archers shot perfect 30s in their opening ends, leaving the contest tied at 59 after two ends. Aizada then edged ahead in the third end, shooting 28 to Sheetal’s 27 to take a slender one-point lead.
Despite the pressure, Sheetal fought back to level the match, sending the gold medal contest to a shoot-off after both archers finished regulation with identical scores of 144. In the decider, Sheetal held her nerve completely, striking a 10 with her final arrow. Aizada could only manage a 9 in response, handing Sheetal the gold medal. According to Olympics.com, this victory marked Sheetal’s first individual gold medal specifically at a World Archery Para Series event, a notable distinction from her existing World Championship title.
Sheetal Devi’s Gold Medal Match: Key Numbers at a Glance
| Stage | Sheetal Devi | Aizada Seidan |
|---|---|---|
| After 2nd end | 59 | 59 (tied) |
| After 3rd end | Trailed by 1 | Led by 1 (scored 28 to Sheetal’s 27) |
| Final score (regulation) | 144 | 144 (tied) |
| Shoot-off | 10 | 9 |
| Result | Gold | Silver |
A World Record Earlier in the Competition
Sheetal’s individual gold-medal final wasn’t the only headline moment of her week in Ahmedabad. Earlier in the competition, during compound mixed team qualification, she teamed up with fellow Paris 2024 bronze medallist Rakesh Kumar to set a new world record. The pair combined for 1,400 points, edging past their own previous world record of 1,399, which they had set at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Sheetal contributed 698 points to the total, while Rakesh added 702.
Sheetal’s mixed team partner changed between the qualification and knockout stages, with Toman Kumar stepping in to replace Rakesh Kumar for the compound mixed team elimination rounds. The Sheetal-Toman pairing then lost a closely fought semi-final to China after a shoot-off, meaning gold and silver in that event went elsewhere. Sheetal and Toman regrouped for the bronze medal match, where they defeated Iraq comfortably, 157-145, to secure bronze in the compound mixed team category.
India’s Full 15-Medal Haul: The Complete Breakdown
India’s final tally from the Ahmedabad leg stood at 15 medals in total: four gold, three silver, and eight bronze. Here is the complete, event-by-event breakdown:
World Archery Para Series 2026, Ahmedabad: India’s Full Medal Table
| Medal | Event | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Women’s Individual Compound | Sheetal Devi |
| Gold | Men’s Compound Doubles | Toman Kumar & Shyam Sunder Swami |
| Gold | Men’s Recurve Doubles | Harvinder Singh & Vijay Sundi |
| Gold | Recurve Mixed Team | Bhawna & Harvinder Singh |
| Silver | Women’s Recurve Doubles | Bhawna & Pooja |
| Silver | W1 Mixed Team | Swati Chaudhary & Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari |
| Silver | Visually Impaired Category | Tanvi Pravin Ingale |
| Bronze | Compound Mixed Team | Sheetal Devi & Toman Kumar |
| Bronze | Women’s Individual Compound | Sarita |
| Bronze | Men’s Individual Compound | Toman Kumar |
| Bronze | Women’s Individual Recurve | Bhawna |
| Bronze | Women’s Individual W1 | Swati Chaudhary |
| Bronze | Men’s W1 Doubles | Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari & Naveen Dalal |
| Bronze | Women’s W1 Doubles | Swati Chaudhary & Vasundhra Teotia |
| Bronze | Visually Impaired Category | Yugal Garg |
A notable storyline within this table is the recurve mixed team gold won by Bhawna and Harvinder Singh, who defeated China’s Liang Qiurong and Xia Lei 6-0, sweeping all three sets by scores of 35-31, 36-33, and 34-32. Bhawna herself enjoyed a particularly strong tournament, contributing to three separate medals across the recurve doubles, recurve mixed team, and individual recurve categories.
Sheetal Devi, meanwhile, also walked away with two medals rather than one, adding a compound mixed team bronze alongside her standout individual gold, underlining just how central she was to India’s overall campaign even beyond her headline final.
Why This Result Matters for India
Hosting the World Archery Para Series for the first time carried real significance for India’s para-sports profile, and finishing the event with a 15-medal haul, led by two golds from Sheetal Devi, gave the milestone an emphatic exclamation point. Competing on home soil, in front of Indian crowds, appears to have brought out strong performances across multiple categories and age groups within the Indian contingent.
For Sheetal Devi specifically, this individual gold adds another significant chapter to an already decorated young career. Already a Paralympic bronze medallist and a reigning World Champion, adding a World Archery Para Series individual title rounds out her achievements across the sport’s major competition formats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About Sheetal Devi’s Gold
She won gold in the women’s individual compound event, defeating Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan in a shoot-off after their final ended tied at 144-144.
Yes. According to Olympics.com, this marked Sheetal’s first individual gold medal specifically at a World Archery Para Series event.
She scored a 10 with her final arrow, while Aizada Seidan scored a 9, securing the gold for Sheetal.
Yes. She also won bronze in the compound mixed team event, partnering with Toman Kumar. The pair lost their semi-final to China in a shoot-off before defeating Iraq 157-145 to claim bronze.
Alongside partner Rakesh Kumar, she set a new world record of 1,400 points in the compound mixed team qualification round, breaking their own previous record of 1,399 set at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
About India’s Overall Performance
India won 15 medals in total: four gold, three silver, and eight bronze.
The event was held from September 5 to 9, 2026, at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.
Yes. This marked the first time India had ever hosted a World Archery Para Series event.
India’s other three gold medals went to Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami (men’s compound doubles), Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi (men’s recurve doubles), and Bhawna and Harvinder Singh (recurve mixed team, defeating China 6-0). Silver medals went to Bhawna and Pooja, Tanvi Pravin Ingale, and Swati Chaudhary with Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari, while bronze medals were won by Sarita, Toman Kumar, Bhawna, Swati Chaudhary, Yugal Garg, and pairs in the W1 doubles categories.
Reports confirm the swap took place between the qualification and elimination rounds but do not specify the reason behind the change. The Sheetal-Toman pairing went on to lose their semi-final to China before winning bronze against Iraq.
Bhawna and Harvinder Singh won the recurve mixed team gold, defeating China’s Liang Qiurong and Xia Lei 6-0, sweeping all three sets 35-31, 36-33, and 34-32.
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