When Payal Nag stepped onto the shooting line in Bangkok earlier this week, she was not just facing a world champion but also her idol.
The 18-year-old para archer produced one of the most composed performances of her young career, defeating reigning world champion and her training partner Sheetal Devi 139–136 in the women’s compound final at the World Para Archery Series. But behind the result lies a deeper story, not of a single match, but of a training philosophy designed to produce moments exactly like this.
Her coach, Abhilasha, believes the result in Bangkok was not surprising but structured.
“Archery is very technical, and in Payal’s case, everything had to be customised,” she explained in an exclusive conversation with The Statesman. “Every para athlete is different, so there is no single method. We had to adapt everything step by step.”
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That adaptation was not limited to equipment alone. It extended into how she trains, how she competes, and how she processes pressure.
At the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Archery Academy in Katra, Payal trains under conditions that mirror competition exactly; distances, scoring systems, timing, and pressure environments remain the same whether it is practice or competition day.
“There is no separation in training,” her coach said. “She shoots with able-bodied archers under the same conditions.”
That structure has become crucial to her development, especially in moments like the Bangkok final, where she faced not just an opponent but also familiarity. Having trained alongside Sheetal Devi, the emotional and competitive line between teammate and rival blurred into routine execution.
“I was a little nervous,” Payal admitted. “But I just played the same way I do in practice.”
That ability to normalise pressure is central to her rise. According to her coach, the goal was never just to improve technique, but to build decision-making under stress.
In para archery, where athletes compete under identical scoring conditions regardless of physical differences, mental stability often becomes the defining factor.
Payal’s physical setup, too, has been carefully engineered. Her prosthetics, combined with her shooting system, add significant load to her body, while she draws a 60 lbs bow requiring precision, strength and control. Every adjustment in her equipment has been tested, modified, and approved under competition regulations governed by World Archery.
“Everything had to be customised step by step,” her coach Abhilasha said. “We modified her system until it was stable, repeatable, and competition-ready.”
What makes her progress notable is not just the adaptation but the speed at which it translated into results. Within months of structured training, she progressed from foundational shooting to national success, winning two gold medals in her first major national competition before moving to the international stage.
That consistency was evident in Bangkok. In a high-pressure final against a reigning world champion, Payal did not alter her approach. She followed the same process she follows in training.
“I just focused on my practice,” she said.
Earlier in the competition, she and Sheetal had also partnered to win gold in the team event, reflecting India’s growing strength in para archery and the collaborative nature of their training environment.
Despite her rapid rise, Payal’s goals extend far beyond a single victory. She is now targeting medals at the Asian Games and ultimately the Olympics, where she hopes to translate this structured progression into global success.
“I want to win a medal at the Asian Games,” she said. “After that, I want to win an Olympic medal and bring gold for my country.”
She also carries a more ambitious personal goal to test herself in able-bodied competition, following a path similar to elite crossover athletes in the sport.
“Yes, that is my dream,” she said. “I want to break records in able-bodied competitions as well.”
For her coach, however, her story is less about ambition and more about design.
“Mentally, she is very strong,” he said. “That is what has helped her reach this level.”
In a sport where millimetres define outcomes, Payal Nag’s rise is not just about talent. It is about a structure that allowed talent to become consistent, controlled, and finally, winning.