Boria Majumdar in Paris
The competition had just finished and Abhilasha Chaudhary, her coach, had left to check on the final set of arrows with the judges. Sheetal Devi, unfazed, stood up and walked back a few steps to where the television monitor was and started looking at her final few shots. For the entire time during her competition, I stood within a few feet of her and watched her perform. As we looked at each other, I asked if she had managed to break the world record. “Nahi pata [I don’t know],” replied Sheetal, looking the other way towards Abhilasha.
She was still in control of her nerves and could somehow manage the excitement. By then, Oznur Cure Girdi had already started to celebrate, and her Turkish support team was all over her. She had shot 704, scoring a point more than Sheetal. That was when the announcement came, confirming that both the archers had shattered the world and Paralympic record. Sheetal had shot a personal best as well.
Having heard the announcement, she smiled. And soon after Devendra Jhajharia blessed her and gave her a hug, she smiled again. Finally, it was time to unwind. Devendra introduced us, and Sheetal remembered the interview we had done a year ago. She hadn’t eaten anything the last few hours, and it was initially decided that she’d have a snack before we settled down for a chat. Abhilasha, her coach, was keen she ate something first. Sheetal, however, wanted to finish the interview and then eat. She could finally settle down and get some rest after a brilliant day’s work. Accordingly, we walked out of the venue together to have a chat for RevSportz, the only video interview she did on her Paralympics debut.
Boria: [A score of] 703, PB and also a Paralympic and World Record score. The previous best was 698. It did not seem to me like it was your Paralympic debut.
Sheetal: I have to say I am very pleased with the way I played today. I was relaxed and the preparation of the last 10 days paid off. We had come here early to train so that I was the best prepared. And that’s what I used to my advantage today in the competition. I was not really thinking about the world record or Paralympic record or any such thing. All I was thinking of was the next 10. I just wanted to keep hitting 10s, and that’s all I was concerned with.
Boria: You had a fantastic start – 59 each in the first two sets. Then, a few missed points and at the halfway stage, you were four points behind the leader. What happened in the break, for soon after, you started to shoot like a woman possessed? Near-perfect sets and you made it back to the top of the leaderboard, only to finish second by a point.
Sheetal: Nothing much happened really. I just tried to stay calm and asked myself why I had missed a few points. I was conscious I needed to do better and said to myself I would now hit 10s as many times as possible. It was about focus. I am pleased I was able to do so, and things got much better in the second half of the competition.
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🚨BREAKING🚨
Listen to what Devendra Jhajharia had to say on Sheetal Devi’s remarkable performance as she broke the World Record and her Personal Best in Women’s Individual Compound Ranking Round@ThumsUpOfficial #ParisParalympics2024 @TrishaGhosal #UthaThumsUpJagaaToofan… pic.twitter.com/i5du0wMYlu
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 29, 2024
Boria: Did you feel pressure at any point?
Sheetal: No. Not at all. As I said, when I step into the competition, I don’t think of anything else but what I have to do. My job is to shoot to the best of my ability and that’s all I try and do. Rest of what is happening at that point isn’t my concern.
Boria: You are the world’s first armless female archer. Now, you are a role model back home and many are expected to play the sport after seeing you.
Sheetal: If I can, everyone else can. It was not easy for me and that’s all I want to say to anyone else who feels inspired by me. If you are ready to work hard, it is possible. It might seem tough to start with but then, with time and effort, things get easier. In the process you discover yourself better, and get better at what you do.
Boria: Sheetal, I thought you are 17. But now, I think you are 34! You are way more mature for your age.
Sheetal: (laughs). Sir, for me it is about doing something for my country. For all the people who have supported me and my family. If people back home are watching me and feel inspired to do something in sport, I’d feel humbled and grateful. As I said to you, if I can, everyone else can. But you need to be prepared to work hard and not give up.
Boria- A fantastic day today, but the real deal starts now. Everyone expects you to make the podium, but that means you will start to feel the pressure as well.
Sheetal: I have come here to do well, and every good performance inspires me to do even better. So I don’t think it will be pressure. Rather, it is my opportunity to do something for my country in my first Paralympic Games. I will do everything I can to win the medal and make my people happy.
Boria: A lot more people have already started to follow the Paralympics after your effort.
Sheetal: If more and more people follow and support us, it is the best thing to happen. The Paralympic movement needs support, and if people back home start to watch us, it will make a big difference to the cause.
Boria: Finally, and I don’t know if you realise, but you have become a symbol of women’s empowerment.
Sheetal: I am the only female armless archer and that’s something many have found very inspirational. For every woman who has watched me or will be watching, it is essential to keep believing in what you stand for, and keep wanting what you need to achieve really badly. Just want it as badly as you can, for only then will you get it. In my case, I want this medal really badly and have done everything I can to get close to it. I want to continue in the same way over the next few days and make my country proud.
By then, Abhilasha had brought her a banana and it was time to leave. Sheetal took her first bite and said goodbye to a few of us before starting to walk back to the athletes’ zone. Her day’s work was done, but Sheetal knows she will now have to brace herself for the big battles ahead. Making the podium and creating history for India is her goal. After Thursday, she was one step closer.
Also Read: Painting with courage: The masterpiece of Sheetal Devi’s archery