‘Matter of great joy’: Sheetal Devi delighted as India hosts World Archery Para Series for first time

AHMEDABAD: Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi expressed her delight at the World Archery Para Series 2026 being held in India, saying the event has provided local athletes with an opportunity to compete on home soil while offering newcomers a chance to gain valuable experience.

Notably, this is the first time that India is hosting the World Archery Para Series. The inauguration ceremony of the World Archery Para Series 2026 was held in Ahmedabad on Friday, with the competition scheduled to take place from September 5 to 9. The ceremony was addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah via video conferencing.

Sheetal expressed her happiness at having the opportunity to compete in an archery tournament on home soil for the first time, saying it was a matter of great joy for her and other athletes.

“It is a matter of great joy that for the first time, an archery tournament is being held here, and we will also get a chance to play here, and the other new athletes who have come will also get a chance to play. Every time, we used to go out to play but this time it is happening here so it feels very good and it is also very good here as we used to see abroad. We have seen it here for the first time so it was very nice. I am very happy,” Sheetal said.

𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? That word simply doesn’t exist in her dictionary!

From defying every limitation to being named 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞, your journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

As an Indian woman in para… pic.twitter.com/sOmTlBUDxt

— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) September 4, 2026

Earlier in the day, while addressing the inauguration ceremony, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said India’s sporting ambition goes beyond simply topping medal tallies, with the focus also on strengthening its performance at major international events such as the Olympics and Asian Games. He also noted that India is working towards becoming a global hub for modern sports infrastructure, training facilities and sports equipment, while also strengthening its capabilities in sports engineering and medical science.

“India’s goal is not just to win the most medals, but to enhance its strength in international competitions like the Olympics, Asian Games, and Police Games”, he said.

“The coaching and training facilities at the sports centre where this archery competition is taking place will be developed keeping international standards in mind. This centre is set to become a major hub for training not only for players from India but from across the world. In the coming days, India will rapidly emerge as a leader in the fields of sports engineering and sports medical science as well. India will become a major medical center for the treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries”, Amit Shah added.

“In the coming times, India will become a hub for training facilities and modern sports infrastructure. At the same time, it will emerge as a major centre in the field of production of sports equipment. We are continuously moving forward to make India a major centre in the world in the field of sports”, he added further. (ANI)