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Indian para archer Payal Nag (Instagram)
Payal Nag’s video recently went viral on social media where she can be seen shooting arrows with her coach Kuldeep Vedwan.
Sheetal Devi is a household name in India and a celebrity in her own right across the world. She became the first Indian woman to win an archery medal, partnering Rakesh Kumar to claim the bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery competition at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
An Arjuna Awardee, Sheetal Devi was born without arms due to a rare medical condition called phocomelia. In fact, she is the first and only female para-archer without upper limbs to compete internationally.
17-year-old Sheetal has inspired many to follow their dreams in the face of harsh difficulties. A recent video went viral on social media showing a young girl aiming arrows without arms and legs. The archer is Payal Nag from Balangir district in Odisha.
According to reports, she lost her limbs after getting electrocuted as a child.
She was scouted in May of last year and brought to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Archery Academy in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, where she trains under Sheetal’s coach Kuldeep Vedwan.