The ace pair of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi won the bronze medal in the mixed compound archery event at the Paralympics. The duo defeated the Italian pair of Eleonora Sariti and Matteo Bonacia by 156-155. The match went down to the last end, where the Indian pair won by just one point. Earlier, the Indian duo lost to the Iranian pair of Fatemeh Hemmat and Hadi Nouri in the semifinals in a shoot-off.
India matched the Paralympic record previously set by Turkey in Tokyo three years ago. Italy holds the world record with a score of 138, achieved in Beijing in 2017.
Thrilling contest
Italy took the lead in the first round by hitting the spider twice. However, India made a strong comeback in the second set. After Italy regained the lead in the third round, Sheetal and Rakesh clinched victory with four 10s in the final round.
More on Paralympics
- New Delhi set to host World Para Athletics Championships 2025, event in September
- Navdeep Singh: Once ridiculed for height, ‘short-tempered’ para-athlete makes world take notice
- Watch: PM Modi wins hearts as he sits on floor while Paralympic champion Navdeep Singh gifts him cap
- India’s Paralympic heroes Navdeep, Avani & Harvinder honored, special postcards unveiled after Paris heroics
- Rewards for Paralympic medallists: Navdeep to get Rs 75 lakh for gold, Sheetal Devi Rs 22.5 lakh
Disappointment in Individual events
Earlier, in their individual events, both archers faced defeat. Rakesh Kumar lost to China’s He Zihao by 147-146, while Sheetal Devi was defeated by Mariana Zuniga 138-137 in the pre-quarterfinals.
