Para archer Harvinder Singh scripted history at the Paris Paralympics 2024 by clinching the gold medal in the Men's Individual Recurve Open event. In doing so, he became the first Indian to ever win a gold medal in archery at the Paralympics. What made Harvinder's victory even more special was the manner in which he prevailed under intense pressure, consistently hitting 10s to defeat his opponents.
Harvinder showed immense composure during tight matches, hitting arrow after arrow into the bullseye when the stakes were highest. In the knockout stages, he delivered perfect 10s to turn tight matches in his favor. During the gold medal match, Harvinder was at his clinical best, not dropping a single point to dominate his Polish opponent.
Harvinder has experienced success at the big stages before, winning India's first ever archery medal (a bronze) at the Tokyo Paralympics. However, the pressure of clinching the yellow metal was immense. Born with imperfect legs due to a medical condition, Harvinder has battled adversity throughout his journey. He channeled all his experience and strength of character to deliver under fire in Paris.
Harvinder hails from a humble farming family in Haryana's Kaithal district. His impairment did not deter his spirit, as he took up archery and steadily progressed. At Paris, he was in dominant form, overcoming tough challenges en route to the final. There, the 27-year-old was simply in the zone, raising jubilant celebrations back home with his masterful gold medal winning performance.
