Bhubaneswar: Daughter of migrant labourers from Balangir district, 17-year-old Payal Nag has been making a mark in para archery. A quadruple amputee, Payal recently won two medals — a silver in the ranking round and a bronze in the individual event — at the 7th National Para Archery Championship in Punjab.Payal’s success was made possible through sustained support from the state administration, including chief secretary Anu Garg, the women and child development department, and her coach, Kuldeep Vedwan, who played a crucial role in shaping her sporting career.In April 2015, Payal, a resident of Jamunabahal village in Balangir district, lost her four limbs in an accident in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, where her parents were employed as labourers.
After the family returned, the Balangir administration facilitated her admission into Gudighat High School. There, Payal learned to write and draw using her mouth — a skill that later defined both her academic progress and artistic talent.In the post-Covid period, when her parents were compelled to migrate again to Chhattisgarh in search of work, the Balangir administration shifted Payal to Parbatigiri Balniketan, a govt childcare institute, to ensure continuity in her education. She was subsequently enrolled at Sadeipali Pallishree High School.It was there that Payal won several block- and district-level art competitions. While the administration facilitated professional art training at the Balniketan, her work caught the attention of Garg, then development commissioner. Garg directed the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities department to provide Payal with robotic limbs in 2023.“I was also interested in sports, but never imagined taking up archery,” Payal said. The department facilitated her training at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in J&K’s Katra, where she was introduced to Vedwan. “Earlier, I relied on devices fitted to both my prosthetic legs to release arrows. It was difficult,” she said. Last year, Vedwan customised a specialised mechanism that she now fixes to one leg, secures to her shoulder using her mouth, and releases with a sharp jerk of her shoulder.In Dec 2025, Payal made her international debut at the Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, finishing 4th in the compound women’s ranking round. She has now set her sights on the 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan and 2028 Paralympic Games in the US.
