India, April 10 -- With a giggle, Sheetal Devi recalled travelling to Hangzhou, China in October 2023 for the Asian Para Games. In July that year, she had set the archery world abuzz by becoming the first armless woman to win a World Para Championship medal - silver on that occasion.

Yet for a teenager, who had known only the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir for most of her life, the sprawling metropolis in China where she was to compete in her first multi-sport event became an important stepping-stone in her illustrious career.

"I didn't know what it was going to be like," she said, smiling, during a virtual interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India. "After going there, I realised it is a huge platform with many athletes." ...