World Record Alert! Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar Smash Archery Mark at Asian Para Games
Indian archers Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar smash the world record in the mixed compound ranking round at the 2026 Asian Para Games.
India has reached a historic milestone at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. In a stunning display of precision and skill, the duo of Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar set a new world record in the para compound mixed team ranking round on Monday, cementing their status as the team to beat in the upcoming medal competitions.
A Record-Breaking Performance
Competing at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square, the Indian pair combined for a massive total of 1,402 points. This achievement surpasses the previous world record of 1,400 points, which was ironically set earlier this year by Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar during the World Para Archery Series in Ahmedabad.
The breakdown of the record-setting score saw Sheetal Devi contribute a brilliant 704 points in the women's qualification round, while Toman Kumar added 698 points in the men's compound ranking round. By securing the top seed for the mixed team event, India enters the gold medal hunt as the clear favorites.
Sheetal Devi: The Record-Breaking Machine
It was a day of multiple milestones for Sheetal Devi. Beyond the mixed team success, she equalled the women's individual compound world record with her score of 704, joining Turkey's Oznur Cure as a joint record holder.
Sheetal's dominance was evident throughout the ranking round, where she scored 352 points in each half, registering an impressive 32 Xs and 25 10s to finish at the top of the individual standings. This performance also:
- Improved her own Asian record of 698 (set in Bangkok in March) by six points.
- Smashed her previous Asian Para Games record of 680 points set during the 2023 Hangzhou edition.
Toman Kumar: From CoBRA Commando to World Champion
While the numbers are impressive, the story behind Toman Kumar's rise is nothing short of cinematic. The 31-year-old from Nawagaon village in Chhattisgarh's Balod district was once a member of the CRPF's elite CoBRA unit. His life changed forever in February 2022 when an IED detonated during an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district, leading to the amputation of his left leg.
After a period of rehabilitation and struggle, Toman pivoted to archery in 2023 under the guidance of coach Pankaj Singh. Leveraging the discipline and physical conditioning from his military background, Toman's ascent was meteoric. In less than three years, he has climbed to become the world number one in his classification and the reigning world champion in the men's compound individual category. In this event, his score of 698 earned him a third-place finish in the individual standings.
Other Indian Standouts
The Indian contingent showed depth across the board in the ranking rounds:
- Payal Nag: Scored 675 points to finish joint fifth in the women's individual compound standings.
- Women's Doubles: Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag combined for 1,379 points to top the women's compound doubles ranking round.
- Men's Compound: Harvinder Singh finished fifth with 631 points, while Vijay Sundi placed seventh with 630 points.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games are running from October 18 to 24, with the para archery competitions continuing through October 24, promising more high-stakes action as India looks to convert these records into gold medals.