Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with World Champion Para-Archer Sheetal Devi during her visit to India to announce a range of new sports partnerships between the two countries. Among the initiatives is India’s first delegation of athletes and coaches to the Australian Institute of Sport.
Sheetal Devi, born in 2007 in Loidhar, Jammu & Kashmir, competes in compound para‑archery despite being born without arms. She has developed a distinctive technique, using her legs and shoulders to draw the bow, and jaw or mouth motion to release the arrow.
While a few armless archers internationally use similar methods, Sheetal’s combination of leg strength, shoulder use, and jaw-or mouth-assisted release is extremely rare and uniquely adapted to her body, earning her widespread recognition and making her one of the most remarkable athletes in the world of para-archery.
In 2025, Sheetal won gold in the women’s compound individual event at the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, defeating Türkiye’s Öznur Cure Girdi 146–143.
She also secured a silver medal in the women’s team event and a bronze in the mixed team event, making her one of India’s most decorated para-archers. She is also the first para-archer from India to be selected for the able-bodied national compound team.
During the meeting, Penny Wong highlighted the role of sport in connecting nations and fostering talent.
She noted that partnerships like these not only provide opportunities for elite athletes such as Sheetal Devi but also strengthen broader Australia-India ties through collaboration in education, culture, and sport.
Minister Wong visited New Delhi from 19 to 20 November 2025 to co-chair the 16th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
During the talks, she highlighted the close and consequential nature of the bilateral relationship, emphasizing shared strategic interests in trade, technology, defence, and people-to-people ties. The dialogue is expected to further strengthen cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including initiatives in sport, innovation, and regional security.
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