Mandaviya hails Sheetal Devi & Payal Nag's Para Games silver
Synopsis
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated para-archers Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag after they won Silver in the Para Compound Women's Doubles at the Asian Para Games 2026, boosting India's para-sport profile at the continental quadrennial event.
Key Takeaways
Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag won the Silver Medal in Para Compound Women's Doubles at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya publicly congratulated the pair on 21 October 2026 via social media.
The Asian Para Games are a quadrennial event organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee for athletes with disabilities.
Sheetal Devi is a prominent Indian para-archer known for competing without forearms using a foot-based technique.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been actively amplifying para-athlete achievements alongside able-bodied disciplines.
India still has athletes competing in remaining events at the 2026 Asian Para Games .
Two Indian para-archers climbed the podium at the Asian Para Games 2026, and the Union Minister in charge of their sport was quick to mark the moment. Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, congratulated Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag for winning the Silver Medal in the Para Compound Women's Doubles event — a result that adds fresh lustre to India's growing para-sports story.
Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag's silver on the compound range
The duo secured second place in the Para Compound Women's Doubles discipline, one of the more technically demanding archery formats at the quadrennial Games. Sheetal Devi, still a teenager, has already become one of India's most-watched para athletes, competing without forearms and drawing a compound bow with her feet — a technique that has stunned international circuits. Payal Nag partnered her in the doubles format, and together they held off competition from across the continent to earn silver.
Why a doubles silver matters beyond the medal tally
The Asian Para Games are organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee and held every four years, functioning as the continent's premier multi-sport platform for athletes with disabilities. A podium finish here carries direct weight for Paralympic qualification pathways and for the visibility of para archery inside India. Minister Mandaviya's public acknowledgement on the same morning as the result — using the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026 — reflects a deliberate government effort to place para-sport achievements alongside able-bodied disciplines in the national conversation.
A ministry putting para sport in the spotlight
Indian ministers routinely use social media to amplify athlete performances at regional multi-sport events, but the pattern has intensified in recent years as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports pushes for greater domestic sponsorship and fan engagement around para competitions. Each such acknowledgement nudges para athletes further into the mainstream sports discourse — something that has tangible downstream effects on funding, institutional support, and young aspirants choosing para sport as a serious career. With events still remaining at the 2026 Asian Para Games, more Indian athletes are in contention, and the ministry's social-media spotlight is likely to stay busy.
Two archers, one bow, one silver — and a nation increasingly learning to cheer just as loud.
Point of View
And pairing her story with a doubles result underscores India's depth in para archery, not just individual brilliance. At a time when India is investing in its Paralympic pipeline, continental podium finishes carry weight far beyond a medal count. Consistent ministerial spotlight on such results signals that para sport is no longer a footnote in India's sporting ambitions.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag?
Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag are Indian para-archers who won the Silver Medal in the Para Compound Women's Doubles event at the Asian Para Games 2026. Sheetal Devi is particularly well-known for competing without forearms, using her feet to draw a compound bow.
What medal did India win in para archery at Asian Para Games 2026?
India won a Silver Medal in the Para Compound Women's Doubles event at the Asian Para Games 2026, claimed by Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag.
What are the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games are a quadrennial multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee across Asia.
What did Mansukh Mandaviya say about the Asian Para Games 2026 result?
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted 'Heartiest congratulations' to Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag on clinching the Silver Medal in Para Compound Women's Doubles at the Asian Para Games 2026, using the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianParaGames2026.
How is India performing at the Asian Para Games 2026?
India secured at least a Silver Medal in para archery through Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag at the Asian Para Games 2026, with events still ongoing at the time of the announcement on 21 October 2026.
