Harvinder Singh Wins Gold in the Individual Recurve at the Paris Paralympics

Harvinder Singh, an Indian para-archer, made history on Wednesday by winning the gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open discipline at the Paris Paralympics. Interestingly, it was the first gold medal won by India in the history of the Paralympic Games.

The bronze medallist from Tokyo put on a commanding display in the finals, defeating Lukasz Ciszek of Poland 6-0 (28-24, 28-27, 29-25) to win the much anticipated medal.

Earlier, Harvinder defeated Iran’s Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri 7-3 after trailing 1-3 to go to the final.

Who is Harvinder Singh?

India’s second medal in archery at the present Paralympics went to Harvinder, a Ph.D. candidate in Economics, who won five straight matches in a single day with incredible endurance and poise. Harvinder made history once more by demonstrating neither nervousness nor exhaustion in the face of extreme physical and mental strain.

Harvinder was raised in a farming family in Ajit Nagar, Haryana, and his life has been marked by tenacity and fortitude. As a toddler, he suffered from the side effects of dengue treatment, which left him with impaired legs. Despite these difficulties in his early years, Harvinder’s willpower carried him through.

In the 2017 Para Archery World Championship, he competed for the first time internationally and placed eighth. He took home a gold medal from the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games the next year.

Harvinder’s hard work paid off three years ago when he created history by taking home the bronze medal in archery—India’s first ever—at the Tokyo Paralympics.