All the hard work paid off: Indian para-archers reflect on historic Asian Para Games campaign

Indias para-archer Sheetal Devi enjoyed a record-breaking campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, winning two gold medals in the womens compound individual and mixed team events, along with a silver in the womens compound doubles alongside Payal Nag.

Sheetal Devi expressed happiness following her record-breaking campaign, highlighting how their consistent practice and hard work throughout the year paid off.

Were really happy that we went there and achieved what we set out to do. Even when things werent working, we stuck to the same practice routines. All the hard work we put in throughout the year paid off in a single day, and were delighted with the result, Sheetal Devi told ANI.

World No. 1 in womens compound para archery, Sheetal Devi clinched two gold medals at the Asian Para Games 2026, retaining her individual title with a 142-139 win over Singapores Alim Nur Syahidah before partnering Toman Kumar to defeat Indonesia 151-148 in the mixed team final.

While, Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi clinched gold in the men's recurve doubles event, defeating China 5-1. After sharing the opening set 35-35, the Indian pair edged the next two sets 37-36 and 38-36 to seal the victory.

Singh expressed happiness over clinching the gold medal, highlighting his personal achievement of upgrading his medal tally from the previous Asian Games with a bronze and a gold.

He also credited the Archery federations continued support for helping the team represent the country consistently.

We're really happy our men's team became champions. I'm especially happy because I upgraded my medal from the last Asian Games to a bronze and a gold, and we're playing continuously for the country. We're getting a lot of support from the federation, Singh told ANI.

Vijay Sundi also expressed delight at winning his first Asian Games gold alongside experienced archer Harvinder Singh.

He credited their strong partnership, built through multiple World Series tournaments, and praised Singhs experience for guiding the team during competitions.

This was my first Asian Games, and Im delighted to have won my fourth consecutive gold medal alongside Hari bhaiya. We competed together in three consecutive World Series tournaments before this, which helped us build a strong combination. Winning another gold together makes us really happy. Hari bhaiya is a senior and an Olympic champion, and his experience is invaluable whenever we compete in a tournament, Sundi told ANI.

Apart from Sheetal Devi, Harvinder Singh, Vijay Sundi, Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudhary also clinched silver medals in their respective events. Pooja Jatyan and Bhawna Choudharys silver in the womens recurve doubles marked Indias first-ever medal in the event at the Asian Para Games.

India ended its campaign at the Asian Para Games 2026 with a record haul of 114 medals, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, as the country's para-athletes delivered world-record performances, historic victories and podium sweeps across multiple disciplines. India surpassed its 2022 edition's medal tally of 108, comprising 27 gold, 32 silver and 49 bronze medals.

The country had initially won 111 medals at the last edition, but three were subsequently stripped following doping charges against Neeraj Yadav and Parveen.

India's performance at Aichi-Nagoya exceeded expectations, particularly as the contingent was significantly smaller than the one that competed in the previous edition. A total of 168 para-athletes represented India at the 2026 Games, compared to 309 athletes at Hangzhou.

India's campaign featured multiple record-breaking performances and landmark results across para-athletics, para-badminton, para-archery, shooting, table tennis and swimming, underlining the depth of the country's contingent.

Reflecting on India's achievement of crossing the 100-medal mark, Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Devendra Jhajharia said the performance reflected the dedication and determination of the athletes, while acknowledging the support extended to para-sports in the country.

"Crossing the 100-medal mark and reaching 114 medals is a proud moment for Indian para-sports and a testament to the dedication, courage and determination of our athletes. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, para-sports in India has received unprecedented encouragement, recognition and support. His commitment to empowering our para-athletes has inspired the entire sporting ecosystem to work collectively towards excellence. Our athletes are translating this support into historic performances, and we remain determined to build on this momentum and take Indian para-sports to even greater heights," Jhajharia said. (ANI)