KATRA: Today at the Jammu Airport, Para archer Sheetal Devi of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board was received and welcomed by Dr. Ashok Bhan, Member of the Shrine Board, along with other higher officials of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on behalf of the Chairman, SMVDSB (Lt. Governor, JK-UT), along with Mata ki Chunri. President Droupadi Murmu presented the paraarcher with the esteemed Arjuna medal on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Sheetal Devi was one of the 26 athletes who received the Arjuna Award. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who chairs the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, shared on X “J&K Para Archer Sheetal Devi is proud to receive the President’s Arjuna Award in 2023. My sincere congrats to Sheetal on her outstanding accomplishments. I’m hoping for the best for you in the future. May you keep shining and give our country even more honour.” It is noteworthy that in October of last year, during her first Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, she took home a record three medals. Two gold medals in the mixed doubles and women’s solo categories, as well as a silver in the women’s doubles compound, were among the remarkable haul. Earlier in the year-2023, Sheetal secured a silver medal in the World Para Archery Championships in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The World No. 1 para, who recently won the gold medal in the open category of compound section in the inaugural Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi on December 16, is eyeing triumph at the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games. While congratulating the para-archer on her Arjuna Award, Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, also noted that she had performed incredibly well. He also expressed confidence that the para-archers being trained at the Shrine Board’s Sports Complex would break records in the near future as they will now be hard-training for the 2024 Paralympics.The Para-archer expressed his gratitude to everyone for their love and support, stating that the campaign has been unprecedented. He was moved by the receivers’ kindness and affection.
