Paris Paralympics: Sheetal Devi/Rakesh Kumar win bronze in Mixed Team Compound event

Paris, Sep 2 Sheetal Devi and World ranked No.1 Rakesh Kumar secured India a medal in Paralympic Games archery competitions by defeating Italy 156-155 in the Mixed Team Compound Open bronze medal match here on Monday. This is India’s 13th medal at the Paralympics. After both archers missed out on individual medals for the country, the veteran-youngster duo combined to win India’s second-ever medal at the Paralympics.

In Tokyo, Harvinder Singh had won a bronze medal in the men’s open recurve individual category. The Italians started with a perfect first round which saw them score 40 points compared to India’s 38. However, Team India responded perfectly as they hit a perfect 40 in their second attempt compared to Italy’s 38, tying the game at 78-78 at the halfway mark. The Italian duo edged ahead after the third round with a score of 39-40. However, Sheetal and Rakesh shot perfect ten’s in three of their final four shots with the team’s second attempt pending review.

Italy’s 38 had both sides tied at 155-155. However, following the review, India’s second shot was adjudged to be a ten which sent the Indian team into joy with a 156-155 victory. The duo had lost against the pair from the Islamic Republic of Iran via shoot-off. Both teams were tied at 152-152 after four rounds in the Mixed Team Compound Open semifinal match. Sheetal Devi, a remarkable young archer from Kishtwar, J&K, has captured the world’s attention with her extraordinary talent and unwavering determination.

Born without arms, her early life was marked by challenges but she has overcome all odds to create history alongside Rakesh Kumar whose journey has been full of difficulties. Rakesh met with an accident in the year 2010 and both his legs got paralyzed, since then he has been in a wheelchair. After the accident he was going through the severity of life and faced many hurdles to survive, he even contemplated suicide, but today he is among the top athletes in the nation and is now a Paralympics medallist.