Sheetal Devi Continues Historic Rise
India’s para archery star Sheetal Devi once again underlined her world-class credentials by rewriting the Asian record in the compound women’s qualification at the Hyundai World Archery Para Series Stage 2 in Nove Mesto, Czechia. The 19-year-old delivered a remarkable 697 out of 720, securing the No. 1 seed for the elimination rounds and extending her own continental record.
The reigning World Para Archery champion missed her season-best score by just one point but still produced one of the finest qualification rounds of her career. Her tally included 21 perfect Xs, and she finished 13 points ahead of the rest of the field, highlighting her dominance before the knockout stages.
Strong Challenge from Rivals
Singapore’s Nur Syahidah Alim and Phoebe Paterson Pine of Great Britain both posted 684 points to finish second and third respectively. Alim claimed the higher seed after recording more Xs than the Paralympic champion from Great Britain.
Another encouraging result for India came from Payal Nag, who qualified eighth with 669 points. The teenager, who became the first quadruple-amputee para archer to win an international gold medal earlier this year, remains in contention for another strong finish after upsetting Sheetal in Bangkok during the opening stage of the series.
India Shines Across Categories
India enjoyed an impressive qualification campaign beyond the compound women’s event.
In the recurve women’s competition, Bhawna produced a career-best performance of 570 points, including seven Xs and three perfect 10s, to grab the top seed by a narrow one-point margin over Indonesia’s Noviera Ross.
The compound men’s event was decided by the slimmest of margins. American archer Kevin Polish, India’s Rakesh Kumar, and France’s Maxime Guérin all finished on 698 points. Polish earned the No. 1 seed after recording 27 Xs, while Rakesh settled for second with 21 Xs. Fellow Indians Shyam Sunder Swami and reigning world champion Toman Kumar also secured places inside the top seven, giving India multiple medal contenders.
In the recurve men’s qualification, Indonesia’s Kholidin led the standings with 644, while India’s Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh qualified with 639, remaining well placed for the elimination rounds.
Elimination Rounds Await
With the qualification phase complete, the focus now shifts to the knockout rounds, where India’s archers will look to convert their excellent rankings into podium finishes. Sheetal Devi enters the eliminations as the clear favourite in the compound women’s event, carrying both confidence and record-breaking form.
The finals of the World Archery Para Series in Nove Mesto are scheduled to take place later this week.
Qualification Highlights
Event: Hyundai World Archery Para Series 2026 – Stage 2
Venue: Nove Mesto, Czechia
Compound Women Top Qualifier: Sheetal Devi (India)
Qualification Score: 697/720
Perfect Xs: 21
Achievement: New Asian Record
Winning Margin: 13 points
Seed: No. 1
Payal Nag (India): 8th – 669
Bhawna (India): Recurve women’s top qualifier – 570
Rakesh Kumar (India): Joint 698 in compound men’s qualification, seeded second on X-count
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