Archery: Sheetal Devi-Rakesh Kumar pair advances to semifinals

Paris, Sep 02: The Indian duo of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar combined well to progress to the semifinals with a 154-143 win over Indonesia’s Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferellyin and Ken Swagumilang in the mixed team compound open archery quarterfinals at the Paris Paralympics, here on Monday.

The top seeds in the mixed compound open event, Sheetal and Rakesh, displayed fine form en route to the semifinal where they will meet Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati and Hadi Nori.

The Iranian duo prevailed over Brazil’s Jane Karla Gogel and Reinaldo Vagner Charao Ferreira 153-151 in their quarterfinal clash.

The Indians sealed the win with a perfect 40 in the fourth and final end.

Sheetal, 17, was born in 2007 with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder leading to underdeveloped limbs. The condition resulted in her arms not fully forming.

The 39-year-old Rakesh suffered a spinal cord injury and after recovering in 2009 he realised he would be wheelchair-bound for life, which plunged him into depression and even forced him to contemplate taking his own life.

On Sunday, Rakesh lost to China’s He Zihao by one point in the men’s compound open category bronze medal match.