Bangkok, April 4 (NationPress) In an astonishing display of skill, India's emerging para-archer Payal Nag, a quadruple amputee, triumphed at the World Archery Para Series held in Bangkok on Saturday. She overcame reigning world champion Sheetal Devi, recognized as the world's first female limbless archer, with a score of 139-136, securing the gold medal in the women's compound open individual category during her inaugural senior international event.

The championship match commenced evenly, both archers locked at 54 points after the initial two ends. However, Payal elevated her game as the competition unfolded, showcasing remarkable composure across three consecutive ends, ultimately creating a significant lead and achieving a historic victory.

This achievement is particularly noteworthy given Sheetal's impressive performance over the past year. The 19-year-old has garnered international acclaim after a standout 2025 season, maintaining her form in Bangkok by leading the qualification round with an impressive score of 698 (25X), significantly ahead of Kazakhstan’s Zhanat Aitimova. Payal, on the other hand, qualified in third place with a score of 678 (9X).

Both finalists demonstrated exceptional prowess in the knockout stages. Sheetal advanced by defeating Singapore’s Nur Shahyidah Alim 147-142 in the semifinals, while Payal triumphed over Aitimova 144-140, setting the stage for their highly anticipated title encounter.

Earlier in the tournament, Payal achieved success alongside Sheetal in the women’s doubles event, clinching gold and reflecting India's dominance in the compound category. However, it was in the individual final that Payal truly shined, delivering under pressure to secure the most significant victory of her career to date.

India's remarkable performance in Bangkok extended beyond the women's compound event. In the men's compound open final, world champion Toman Kumar secured gold by defeating Australia’s Jonathan Milne 146-142, marking a hat-trick of titles after previously winning the mixed and men’s team events as well.

In the recurve division, Bhawna won the women’s individual gold with a resounding 6-0 victory against Thailand’s Phattharaphon Pattawaeo.

Conversely, Paralympic champion Harvinder Singh earned silver in the men’s recurve category after a close final against Indonesia’s Kholidin, finishing with a score of 3-7.

Ultimately, India topped the medal tally, reinforcing its growing prominence in para archery with an impressive haul of seven gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.