India’s Sheetal Devi continued her remarkable performance at the Para World Archery Championships on Saturday, September 27, in Gwangju, South Korea, by beating Türkiye’s top-ranked player, Oznur Cure Girdi, 146-143 to win gold in the women’s compound individual category.
Close Final Against Turkiye
This loss is Sheetal’s third medal at the competition. Recently she won a mixed team bronze with Toman Kumar, defeating Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham and Nathan MacQueen 152-149. In the compound women’s open team match, Sheetal and Sarita took silver after losing to Türkiye in the final round.
Sheetal Lat Second Hat-Trick Steal the Game
The singles final was an extreme struggle, but Sheetal kept her cool throughout. The first end was level at 29-29, then she struck a hat-trick of 10s in the second end to take the lead, clinching that end 30-27. The third end was once more level at 29-29, and even though Sheetal lost the fourth end by one point, she was still in front at 116-114. But when it came to the final match, she gave a perfect display, scoring three perfect arrows for 30 to secure the gold.
In the semifinals, the Jammu and Kashmir archer had already demonstrated her authority with a 145-140 victory against Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham. The title showdown was a repeat of the 2023 Pilsen World Championships, when Girdi had pulled off a narrow 140-138 victory against Sheetal. This time, Sheetal reversed the script to win.
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Turkish Pair Fights Back to Tie at 76-All
In the women’s compound open team final, Sheetal and Sarita began well but were ultimately outshot by the Turkish pair, Oznur Cure Girdi and Bursa Fatma Un, 148-152. The Indian pair began well, taking a narrow 38-37 lead in the first end, and notched three 10s in their first four shots. But the Turkish pair fought back in the second end, notching three 10s and a nine to tie at 76-all.
The momentum remained in the third end as the Indian pair faltered with nerves, managing only 36 to Turkey’s 37. In the last end, Girdi and Un produced a virtually flawless 39 out of 40, while the Indians managed 36, with one arrow dropping in the 7-ring, awarding Türkiye the gold by four points.
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