Indian teenager Payal Nag has won gold at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok, defeating world No.1 Sheetal Devi in an all-Indian women’s compound open final and announcing herself as one of the sport’s most remarkable new champions. The 18-year-old secured victory with a 139–136 win, earning her first major international gold medal on her senior debut and helping India finish the event as the top-performing nation.
Nag’s achievement carries historic significance because she is widely regarded as the world’s first quadruple-amputee para-archer competing at elite international level. She lost all four limbs after a childhood electrocution accident and shoots using customised equipment and shoulder and mouth movements. Her rapid rise has been striking; she had previously beaten Devi at India’s Para Nationals before arriving in Thailand and repeated that result on the global stage in a final that drew widespread attention within para sport.
The opponent she defeated is already one of the most recognisable names in the discipline. Devi, born without arms due to a congenital condition, shoots with her feet and has won world titles and Paralympic medals, becoming a global symbol of adaptive sport innovation. Nag has spoken publicly about being inspired by watching Devi compete, making their Bangkok showdown a symbolic moment for a new generation of athletes emerging from the same national program.
The tournament also underlined the growing strength of India in para archery, with the team collecting a large medal haul and Nag later joining Devi to claim gold in the women’s compound team event. India finished with 16 medals overall — 7 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze. For international audiences, the result reflects the expanding competitiveness of Paralympic sport, where new talent from emerging programs is challenging traditional powerhouses and reshaping expectations ahead of future world championships and Paralympic Games.
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