Sheetal Devi was named Sportswoman of the Year (Para Sports) at the Sportstar Aces Awards 2026, held in Mumbai on Friday, in recognition of another exceptional season that elevated Indian archery globally.

Continuing her domination in the sport, the 18-year-old Sheetal made history by qualifying for the Indian able-bodied junior archery team at the selection trials, becoming the first para-athlete from India to do so.

She scripted history as the first-ever armless woman to become a world champion in the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. Apart from bagging a gold in the individual final, Sheetal also secured a silver in the women’s team event and a bronze in the mixed team. She also defended her Khelo India Para Games title.

The 2026 Sportstar Aces Awards are presented by Amul, co-presented by Casagrand in association with SRM Institute of Science and Technology. SBI, Christ University, Next IAS, Bharat Petroleum, LIC, Sports Authority of Telangana, NTPC, Indian Softball Cricket Foundation, Jaquar And Company Private Limited are associate partners. Reva University is the education partner. Blue Star is the cooling partner while Times Now is the telecast partner.

Published on Mar 16, 2026