2024 was an exceptionally eventful year for Indian sport. At the end of the year, ESPN India picks ten images that tell the story of the most stunning moments we witnessed in the last 12 months. Our seventh pick is a moment when two archers at opposite ends of the age spectrum won a well-deserved Paralympics medal.
The moment right after Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar won the Paralmypics bronze medal told a story of relief. Sheetal was standing up, in tears and taking in the applause while Rakesh, on his wheelchair, was equal parts happy and relieved. They had defeated the Italian pair of Eleonara Sarti and Matteo Bonacina 156-155 to claim the Paralympic bronze in the mixed compound team event.
It was a medal that could’ve gone away and both talented archers would’ve returned from Paris without anything to show. Only days before, Sheetal, the only female armless archer at the international level, was shockingly knocked out in the second round of her individual event at the Paris Paralympics. Meanwhile, Rakesh made it all the way to the semifinal of his individual event but lost the next two to miss a chance at the medal. In a big event like the Paralympics, nothing can be taken for granted. A medal will only count only when it’s rightfully earned.
It doesn’t mean much if you’re one of the favourites, like Sheetal and Rakesh who were both ranked at the top of their individual categories. After the disappointment in their individual events, Sheetal and Rakesh narrowly lost the mixed team semifinal in the shootout against Iran. With a set to go in the bronze medal playoff, the Indian pair were trailing.
Another close loss would’ve been utterly heartbreaking for them. After overcoming personal tragedies, both archers had hoped that a Paralympic medal would be their brightest spark in their lives. Sheetal was born with phocomelia, which is a rare congenital deformity in which the hands or feet are underdeveloped. She developed a strong upper body by climbing trees, without the arms, which actually helped her a lot once she took up archery. At 17, she already had worlds and Asian Para Games medals.
Meanwhile, Rakesh was on the other side of the age spectrum. He was 39 and had suffered a spinal cord injury that left him in a wheelchair. His condition made him depressed, and he thought about taking his life. Archery gave him a new motivation in life and once he started excelling, there was no looking back. In the final set of their bronze medal match, the scores were all tied.
It was heading for another shootoff, but they had to wait first. One of Sheetal’s shots in the final set was being checked. If it was a 10, the bronze medal was all theirs. An Indian coach went with the officials, and he celebrated seconds later to signal that it was done. Four 10s by Sheetal and Rakesh when it mattered the most. A bronze medal that was rightfully earned by two most deserving archers.
