Payal Nag scripted history by defeating world champion Sheetal Devi to win gold in the Women’s Compound final at the Bangkok Archery Para Series 2026.
The 18-year-old held her nerve in a thrilling all-Indian contest, scoring 139–136 to claim her first senior international title.
Sheetal entered the tournament as the favourite after dominating the 2025 season and earning the World Archery Para Archer of the Year title. She topped the qualification round with 698 points, finishing 20 points ahead of Kazakhstan’s Zhanat Aitimova. Payal qualified third with 678 and advanced confidently through the knockout stages.
In the semifinal, Sheetal defeated Singapore’s Nur Shahyidah Alim 147–142, while Payal overcame Aitimova 144–140 to set up the final showdown. Payal delivered under pressure, hitting consistent tens to dethrone the champion and announce herself as India’s next para archery star.
India’s strong showing continued across categories. Shyam Sunder Swami clinched bronze in the men’s compound event after a dramatic shoot-off against teammate Rakesh Kumar, winning 10*–9. Anjum Tanwar finished fourth in the W1 women’s category after losing her bronze match to a Korean opponent.
Payal and Sheetal will now team up for the women’s compound team final against Kazakhstan, while Sheetal partners with Toman Kumar in the mixed team gold match against Indonesia.
