Jammu, Sep 03: Sheetal Devi, 17, and Rakesh Kumar, 39, from Jammu and Kashmir won a bronze medal in the compound open archery mixed team event at the Paris Paralympics, defeating Italy’s Matteo Bonacina and Eleonora Sarti 156-155.
This victory makes them the first Olympic medalists from J&K and marks only the second time India has won a Paralympic medal in archery.
Sheetal, born with phocomelia, overcame immense challenges to excel in archery, becoming the first Indian woman to win an archery medal at the Paralympics. Rakesh, who has been wheelchair-bound since a 2010 accident, turned to archery in 2017 and has since risen as a top athlete.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha congratulated the duo, praising their remarkable determination and contribution to Indian sports.
