Harvinder Singh wins historic Paralympic gold in archery

HARVINDER Singh made history on Wednesday by becoming India's first-ever Paralympic gold medalist in archery.

The 33-year-old PhD student in Economics showed calmness and precision throughout the competition, securing five consecutive victories in a single day.

Harvinder, who previously won a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics, demonstrated his composure in the final, landing three 10s in his last four arrows to defeat 44-year-old Lukasz Ciszek of Poland 6-0 (28-24, 28-27, 29-25).

This victory marks India's second archery medal at the ongoing Paralympics.

Earlier in the week, Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi won a bronze in the mixed compound open category.

Harvinder's journey to gold included key wins over world number nine Hector Julio Ramirez of Colombia in the quarter-finals (6-2), and Tseng Lung-Hui of Chinese Taipei in the round of 32 (7-3). In the pre-quarter-finals, he came from behind to defeat Indonesia’s Setiawan Setiawan 6-2.

In the semi-finals, Harvinder overcame a 1-3 deficit to beat Iran's Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri 7-3, making him the first Indian archer to reach a Paralympic final.

His consistent ability to stage comebacks was a defining feature of his campaign. In the final, Harvinder secured the first set with a 28-24 score, and despite Ciszek's rally in the second set, Harvinder maintained his lead with another 28, extending it to 4-0.

Harvinder’s performance peaked in the final set, where he shot three 10s, including a perfect inner 10 (X). Ciszek, under pressure, missed with a 7 and 9, while Harvinder sealed his gold medal with a 9 on his final arrow. Celebrations followed in the stands, with teammate Sheetal Devi cheering as Harvinder embraced his coach and waved the Indian flag.

In the semi-final, Harvinder narrowly lost the first set 25-26 and tied the second 27-27. However, he bounced back, winning the next two sets 27-25 and 26-24, taking a 5-3 lead.

In a tense final arrow situation, Ameri’s miss with a 7 allowed Harvinder to close the match and advance to the final.

In the recurve open class, archers compete from a 70m distance, aiming at a target with 10 concentric circles, scoring points from 10 to 1.

Harvinder’s journey began in Ajit Nagar, Haryana, where he faced challenges from a young age. At just one and a half years old, he contracted dengue, and the side effects of treatment left both his legs impaired.

Despite these challenges, he was inspired by the 2012 London Paralympics and pursued archery. He debuted at the 2017 Para Archery World Championship, finishing seventh, and won gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, his father transformed their farm into an archery range to support his training.

Harvinder previously won a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics, becoming India's first-ever archery medalist at the event.