Paralympic medallist and world champion para-compound archer Sheetal Devi has thrown her weight behind the revamped Khelo India Scheme (KIS), saying the ₹29,054 crore five-year programme has the potential to fundamentally reshape para sport in India — provided states commit to active implementation.

Why Sheetal Devi Believes This Scheme Is Different

Speaking from the vantage point of her own journey — from a remote village in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, to the world championship podium — the 18-year-old archer argued that the single biggest barrier for aspiring para-athletes is not talent but opportunity. 'The love and recognition I receive today as a Paralympic champion took years of work. I was an undiscovered child in Kishtwar. However, over the years, with access to good coaching and support, I became the Sheetal Devi that the world knows,' she said.

She was candid about the role of chance in her own rise. 'While my story is one of success, an equally capable child in a remote village might not even know that para sports exist. The difference between us usually comes down to opportunity. I am thankful that I had that.'

What the Revamped Scheme Covers

The updated Khelo India Scheme, envisioned under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, carries a ₹29,054 crore outlay over five years. Its nine core pillars include talent identification, coach and support-staff development, infrastructure upgrades, and high-performance training environments. Sheetal specifically highlighted the scheme's provisions for para-sport-specific academies and accredited training centres located closer to athletes' homes.

'Not every child can travel hundreds of kilometres to find a coach or training centre. Many talented kids stay in villages because the facilities simply aren't close by. If quality para-sport academies and trained coaches were available nearer to where children live, families would feel more confident about encouraging them to take up sports,' she said.

Early Identification and the Para Khelo India Athletes Pool

A feature Sheetal described as particularly significant is the scheme's plan to expand the Para Khelo India Athletes pool and introduce a new category of Emerging Khelo India Athletes — designed to bring promising youngsters into the support system at an earlier stage of development.

'For para-athletes, early identification is especially vital. Many children with disabilities start sports later not because they lack talent, but because they lack awareness, coaching, or opportunity. If we can identify them early and provide ongoing support, we can change their sporting journeys before they start to doubt themselves,' she said.

The Role of Competition and the Khelo India Para Games

Having competed in the archery events at the Khelo India Para Games herself, Sheetal underscored the irreplaceable value of competitive exposure. 'Every competition teaches lessons that training alone can't offer. The expansion of Khelo India Para Games means more young athletes will get a chance to build confidence and improve their performance,' she noted.

She credited the Sports Authority of India and government support for giving her the preparation she needed to compete at the highest level. 'I received help from coaches, the Sports Authority of India, the Government, and more. I never felt anything important was missing from my preparation. That support gave me the confidence to dream bigger and compete with the world's best. But my story shouldn't be the exception.'

The Measure of Real Success

Sheetal argued that the scheme's ultimate impact should be assessed not merely in medal tallies but in the confidence it instils among children with disabilities across the country. 'The greatest impact of the revamped KIS may not only be seen in the number of medals India wins. It will be assessed by the number of children with disabilities who begin to believe they belong in sports,' she said.

The Centre's commitment to Centre-state cooperation, she added, will be the decisive variable — with states and Union territories required to translate policy into ground-level outcomes. Sheetal said she would consider the scheme a true success when children with disabilities from every district and village in India enter sport knowing a structured pathway exists for them.