Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s archer Payal Nag surprised the nation by defeating Paralympic and Asian Games medalist, Sheetal Devi in the 6th Para Archery National Championship 2025, which was concluded at Poornima University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, from 10th to 13th January 2025
The 17-year-old Payal Nag won gold medal in Compound Women category, while Sheetal Devi of Jammu and Kashmir received silver medal and Joti Kumari of Uttar Pradesh bagged the bronze medal.
Payal hails from the Bolangir district and is currently a first-year student at Tikarpada College. For the past year, she has been undergoing archery training in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir.
During this time, she has won numerous medals, culminating in her remarkable achievement of securing two gold medals at the National Para Archery competition. This news has sparked a wave of joy in various parts of Odisha, including Bolangir.
Payal is the daughter of Bijay Nag and Janata Nag from Jamunabahal village, located in the Muribahal block of Bolangir district. In 2015, at the age of 8, she and her parents travelled to Raipur, where she tragically suffered an electrical accident that resulted in the loss of both her legs and one of her hands, leaving her completely disabled.
The local administration was notified, and Payal was rescued and placed in Parbatigiri Balaniketan in Patharchepa, Bolangir, where she continued her education. In 2022, she created a painting of Anu Garg, the then Secretary of the Water Resources Department, using a paintbrush held in her lips, which she presented to her during his visit to Bolangir district. Anu Garg and the then District Magistrate of Bolangir, Chanchal Rana, were deeply impressed by Payal’s determination and artistic talent.
Following their encouragement, arrangements were made to send Payal to an Archery Training Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, for coach Kuldeep Vedwan specialized training.
Since 2023, Payal has been living there and honing her archery skills. Remarkably, Payal has no legs or arms and faces significant challenges in her daily life. Nevertheless, through sheer willpower, she has overcome her disabilities and now aims arrows using her lips. Her accuracy is so impressive that even those unfamiliar with her story would find it hard to believe. Today, Payal has achieved a significant milestone in her life, and her success is a testament to her resilience and determination.
