Indian duo defeat Indonesia 151-148 in the mixed team compound final to secure gold

Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, October 22(HS): India’s Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar clinched the gold medal in the mixed team compound archery event at the Asian Para Games 2026, defeating Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Audia Ferelly and Ken Swagumilang 151-148 in the final held on Thursday.

The top-seeded Indian pair had earlier delivered an outstanding performance in the qualification round, scoring 1,402 points to establish a new world record, surpassing the previous mark by two points. The Indian archers maintained their advantage from the outset in the final and went on to secure a convincing victory.

The Indian duo established a 38-37 lead in the opening round. They continued to hit the target with remarkable precision in the second round, extending their score to 77-73 and building a four-point advantage. Indonesia managed to gain a one-point edge in the third round, but India retained an overall lead of three points. Both teams scored 38 points in the final round, enabling India to seal the gold medal by a margin of three points.

Sheetal Devi once again delivered an inspiring performance. Born without arms, she handles the compound bow using her feet and legs, drawing the bowstring with the support of her shoulder and jaw to take aim. Her extraordinary technique, combined with her exceptional coordination with Toman Kumar, propelled India to the top of the podium in the event.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar