Toman Kumar, a CRPF constable and former CoBRA commando, has won compound mixed team gold with Sheetal Devi at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Indian pair defeated Indonesia 151–148 in the final on 22 October. Their qualification-round score of 1,402 also set a world record, according to Outlook India.
Kumar’s path to the podium began with a life-changing injury. In February 2022, he lost his left lower limb in an improvised explosive device blast during an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand. He later received rehabilitation and a prosthetic limb at the CRPF’s National Centre for Divyang Empowerment in Hyderabad.
Rehabilitation opened a route into sport
At the Hyderabad centre, Kumar met archery coach Pankaj Singh, who encouraged him to try the sport. Kumar initially lacked confidence and had no previous archery experience. His early training included working on balance while using a prosthetic limb to shoot. The Indian Express reported that family and colleagues also supported him as he recovered and rebuilt his confidence.
Kumar began taking archery seriously in 2023. His discipline and conditioning from military training helped him adapt to competition, and he continued to serve in the CRPF. Within a few years, he had progressed from rehabilitation training to international competition.
At the 2025 World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju, Kumar won the men’s compound individual title and partnered Sheetal Devi to take bronze in the mixed team event. World Archery’s event coverage records him as the individual compound champion.
A recent gold in Japan
The Asian Para Games final added another major result to Kumar’s record. The Indian pair maintained their lead through the match against Indonesia, finishing with a three-point margin. For Kumar, the medal followed years of adjustment, rehabilitation and training after an injury that changed his career and daily life.
His story also illustrates how rehabilitation can connect a person with new goals. In Kumar’s case, prosthetic provision and rehabilitation at the CRPF centre formed part of the pathway that led him to archery. The specific needs of each person after limb loss vary, but assessment, a suitable device, training and follow-up can all contribute to participation in chosen activities.
For prosthetic and orthotic teams, his progress is a reminder to ask what a person wants to return to or take up—not only what mobility tasks they need help with. Sporting ambitions may require attention to balance, equipment, practice conditions and individual adaptation. These considerations are shaped by the person and the sport; the available reports do not detail Kumar’s prosthetic setup for archery.
Kumar’s Asian Para Games gold with Sheetal Devi marks the latest achievement in a rapid sporting career. His journey from CRPF rehabilitation to a world championship title and now a continental gold highlights the role of opportunity, coaching and sustained support in helping people pursue ambitious goals after injury.
- SSBCrack: Meet Toman Kumar, CRPF CoBRA commando and world No. 1 para archer
- The Indian Express: Former CoBRA commando wins Asian Para Games archery gold
- World Archery: From commando to world champion—Toman Kumar’s second act
- World Archery: Toman Kumar athlete profile and results
- CRPF: National Centre for Divyang Empowerment
- The Tribune: Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar win Asian Para Games archery gold
- World Archery: 2025 Gwangju Para Championships results