Payal Nag Makes History by Becoming First Quadruple Amputee to Win an Archery Championship

In a recent inspiring sports news story, 18-year-old Payal Nag from Odisha has made history by winning a gold medal at an international archery event. Her achievement has surprised and inspired people across the world, as she became the first quadruple amputee to make such a great achievement in para archery.

A Life-Changing Incident

Payal Nag was born in a small village in Balangir district, Odisha. Her family was very poor and her father worked as a daily-wage labourer. When she was just eight years old, her life changed forever due to a serious electric shock accident. Sadly, she lost both her arms and legs in this incident. After this tragedy, she had to stay in an orphanage, where she slowly started rebuilding her life.

Courage and New Beginnings

Even after such a big loss, Payal did not give up. She learned to do many daily activities in her own way. One day, a video of her painting using her mouth became popular on the internet. This showed her strong willpower and talent, and many people started noticing her courage.

Entry into Archery

Payal’s life took a positive turn when coach Kuldeep Kumar Vedwan saw her potential. He brought her to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Archery Academy in Katra. There, she started learning archery. The coach used special methods to train her because her situation was different from other players. With time, Payal became more confident and skilled.

A Unique Way of Playing

Since Payal does not have arms, she uses a special technique to shoot arrows. She uses a prosthetic support to hold the bow. Then, she pulls the string using her shoulder and mouth with the help of a trigger system. This method is very rare and and shows her creativity and determination. Because of this, she became the first athlete like her to compete at the international level in archery.

Historic Gold Medal Win

On April 4, 2026, Payal achieved a big victory at the World Para Archery Series Final in Bangkok. It was her first senior international competition. In the final match, she defeated her idol Sheetal Devi with a score of 139-136 and won the gold medal. This made her the first quadruple amputee in the world to win an international gold in archery.

Key Facts for the Exams

• Payal Nag is the first quadruple amputee archer to win an international gold medal.
• She won the medal at the 2026 World Para Archery Series Final in Bangkok.
• Para Archery is managed by the World Archery Federation at the global level.
• In India, events like Khelo India Para Games help promote para sports among youth.