Bhubaneswar : Payal Nag’s journey reads like a modern legend. At just 17, she’s become India’s first—and only—quadruple amputee archer to clinch medals against the country’s best, defying the very idea of what’s possible in sports. Born in Odisha, Payal lost all her limbs to a childhood accident. Her family, struggling to survive, left her in an orphanage, hoping she’d find support.
But destiny found her: first in her art, as she learned to paint with her mouth, then on social media, where a viral post caught the eye of ace para-archery coach Kuldeep Vedwan. Within months, Payal was training with custom prosthetics and an innovative technique, picking up the bow with her artificial limbs and firing arrows using sheer will and muscle—no hands or feet required.
In her very first National Para Archery Championships, Payal stunned the field by defeating her idol and reigning champion Sheetal Devi, seizing double gold and making headlines nationwide. This March, she took silver at the star-studded Khelo India Para Games, once again dueling in the finals with Sheetal—proving her place among India’s elite.
Her mantra?
“Agar andar se kuch thaan lo, toh kuch bhi namumkin nahi hai. Bas apne pe vishwaas rakho.”
(“If you’re determined from within, nothing is impossible. Just believe in yourself.”)
With sights now set on Paralympic glory, Payal Nag is re-writing the story of Indian sport, arrow by arrow.
Discussion about this post