The historic gold of India by Payal Nag: Para Archery Milestone

Another Achievement of History in Para Archery.

Payal Nag, a 18 year old Odia archer, has created history by becoming the first quadruple amputee in the world who won the first international gold medal in archery. Her winning situation at World Para Archery Series Final at Bangkok is a historic first in Indian para sports, and illustrates the changing inclusivity in world sports.

Early Life: A Story of Resilience.

Payal, born in the Balangir district, has a life that has dramatically changed when at the tender age of eight, her life was altered due to electrocution accident that made her lose all four limbs. Nevertheless, this did not stop her, but she managed to restore her life with great power. Her visit to an orphanage and a viral video of her painting with her mouth has introduced her will and flexibility, which preconditioned her later path.

Mentorship and Entree into Sports.

Payal got into the sport of archery due to the influence of the coach Kuldeep Kumar Vedwan, who saw her potential and trained her in the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Archery Academy in Katra. He devised special training methods with the little he had to help her special condition. This mentorship was very instrumental in making her a competitive athlete.

New Method and Advantage.

What is special about Payal is that she has a special shooting style. With a specially made prosthetic aid, she stabilises the bow, and pulls the string using her shoulder and mouth, with the help of a trigger mechanism. This was a new method that enabled her to compete internationally thus becoming a pioneer in para archery.

Exam-Focused Key Points

• Payal Nag is the first quad amputee to win an international gold medal in arching.
• Gold medal at the 2026 World Para Archery Series Final, Bangkok.
• Plays with a modified shooting method using a prosthetic.
• Para archery is governed by the World Archery Federation.
• Khelo India Para Games contribute towards grassroots para sports development.

A Deliberate Victory and Future View.

Payal won her first senior international event on April 4, 2026, when she beat Sheetal Devi by a margin of 139136. This is in addition to her successes nationally and makes her a very good candidate to future international events, such as the Paralympics. Her experience exemplifies strength, creativity and the infinite possibilities of human will.