Nagoya: India’s Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag won the silver medal in the women’s compound doubles event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Wednesday. The Indian pair fought hard in the final but lost to China’s Xu Xueqing and Zhao Jing by 141-150.
The result added another medal to India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games. Sheetal and Payal had also made a strong impression in the qualification round, setting new Asian and Games records.
The duo scored a combined 1,379 points in the women’s doubles qualification, beating the previous Asian record of 1,378. Payal contributed 675 points as the Indian pair finished at the top of the qualification rankings.
Sheetal Devi Equals World Record
Sheetal had already made headlines earlier in the competition. The 18-year-old equalled the world record in the women’s compound individual qualification on Monday, scoring 704 out of a possible 720 points.
Her score matched the world record held by Türkiye’s Oznur Cure Girdi. Sheetal also improved her own Asian record of 698, set in Bangkok in March, by six points. The performance raised the Asian Para Games record from 680 to 704.
Sheetal also partnered Toman Kumar in the mixed team qualification. The Indian pair scored 1,402 points, breaking the previous world record of 1,400, which had also been set by India.
The performances underline Sheetal’s strong form as she competes in both individual and team events at the Games.
Payal Nag’s Journey to International Archery
Payal Nag, also 18, hails from Balangir in Odisha. She lost all four limbs in a high-voltage electrocution accident at a young age but later learned to manage daily activities using her mouth.
Inspired by Sheetal Devi, Payal took up archery and trained to compete with specialised equipment. She uses a customised, mouth-operated mechanism to shoot and has emerged as an international para-archery competitor despite the challenges she has faced.
Payal gained attention in 2025 with podium finishes at the Indian Para Archery Championships and a silver medal at the second Khelo India Games. She made her international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai that year.
For the Indian pair, Wednesday’s silver medal followed a record-setting qualification campaign, even though China finished ahead in the final.