Katra, September 16
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) on Monday accorded a grand welcome to Paralympic archer Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, the bronze medallists in the recently concluded Paris Paralympics, on behalf of SMVDSB Chairman Manoj Sinha, who is Jammu and Kashmir LG.
The dynamic duo of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi trained at the SMVD Sports Complex brought laurels to the nation with their exceptional performance. In recognition of their outstanding achievement, the Shrine Board felicitated them at a ceremonial event held at the SMVD Sports Complex in Katra.
Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, Anshul Garg, congratulated Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar on their remarkable achievement at the Paris Paralympics, expressing immense pride in the success of these Shrine's paraarchers, which has brought laurels not only for Jammu and Kashmir but for the entire nation.
"Their bronze medal win in the Mixed Team Compound Open Archery event, Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar have forever engraved their names in the archives of sporting history by cementing their status as Jammu and Kashmir's pioneering Olympic medallists," Anshul Garg said, according to a release.
"Success in sports is not an overnight achievement but a culmination of years of dedication, hard work, and perseverance, and the achievement of these medallists is a testament to their unwavering dedication, the guidance of their coaches, and above all, the divine blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. Their success is giving a new impetus to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sports Complex by inspiring budding sportspersons and creating new sporting icons," he added.
The CEO reaffirmed the Shrine Board's dedication to promoting various sports, particularly Olympic disciplines like shooting, archery and athletics to empower athletes to excel and bring glory to the nation.
He highlighted that the Board's consistent annual investment of Rs 2.5 to 3 crore over the past 8-9 years in developing world-class sports infrastructure and nurturing talented athletes at its complex is now yielding remarkable results on international stages.
Anshul Garg talked about the success of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi. As a token of blessings and appreciation, the CEO presented the medallists with sacred gifts, including a Chunri and other revered offerings of Mata Vaishno Devi.
In singles para-archery, Sheetal Devi secured a world record in the ranking round before finishing in second place, with a total of 703 points. However, she could not get that singles competition medal.
Later on, teaming up with Rakesh Kumar in the mixed team compound qualification event, they both went on to make another world record with a score of 1,399. The 17-year-old Sheetal went on to make history as she became the country's youngest Paralympic medallist, getting a bronze with Rakesh.
Sheetal and Rakesh secured the bronze win over Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonnacina of Italy by 156-155 in the bronze medal match.
The Indian contingent concluded its historic Paris Paralympics campaign with a total of 29 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze medals, the most by the country in the history of the competition.
With this landmark campaign, India has surpassed their previously most-successful campaign at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which gave them 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronze medals.
This record-haul also helped India cross the 50-medal mark in the history of the competition. A record of 84 para-athletes represented the tricolour from August 28 to Sunday in 12 disciplines, as compared to nine back in Tokyo 2020. India also participated in new sports at Paris: paracycling, para rowing, and blind judo.
India established several records and unlocked some new "firsts" at the Paralympic Games.