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Paris Paralympics

Paris Paralympics 2024: Harvinder Singh clinches historic gold in para-archery individual recurve open

Published at :September 5, 2024 at 12:48 AM
Modified at :September 5, 2024 at 12:48 AM
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Kartik Warrier

This is Harvinder Singh’s second consecutive Paralympics medal, having won bronze three years back at Tokyo.

Ace Indian archer Harvinder Singh created history, winning the gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open event at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Harvinder, who claimed the bronze medal in the same category three years ago in Tokyo, became the first-ever Indian to clinch the gold medal in archery at the Paralympics or Olympics. He beat Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek 6-0 in dominant fashion to bag the top place at the podium.

Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar’s bronze earlier in this edition of the Paralympics are the only archery or para-archery medals India have won in the Paralympics or Olympics history apart from Harvinder’s gold and bronze.

His shining gold took India’s tally to 22 medals at the quadrennial extravaganza, already their best-ever performance, eclipsing the 19 won in the previous edition at Tokyo. The lad from Ajit Nagar village in Kaithal, Haryana also joined an elite list of double Paralympic medallists, having won a bronze three years back, before changing the colour on Wednesday.

This is the fourth time India’s national anthem will be heard in the ongoing Paris Games, and has improved the nation’s position in the medal’s tally significantly.

Harvinder Singh, current World Number #12 archer, competes in the ST disability class that includes all athletes who don’t have the wrist joint and/or the ankle joint.

He put on a stunning performance in the final, defeating Polish sixth seed Lukasz Ciszek. Looking at his composure, you would be forgiven for assuming he is a robot!

The 33-year-old started with a score of 28 in the first set, putting pressure on his opponent straight away to win two set points. His opponent responded with a 27 in the second set. However, as had been the case throughout the day, the Indian shot a 10 when needed, to reach a total of 28 points and go 4-0 up in the final.

The pressure was now too much to take for Ciszek, as he started off with a 7 in the third set. Needing 6 to clinch the third set, Harvinder shot a nine to pocket the gold. Marvelously, all his nine arrows were in the yellow zone comprising 9 and 10 only.

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This is India’s second medal in archery, with the duo of Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi having clinched the bronze medal in the Archery Mixed Team Compound Open event. Harvinder’s achievement was even more special because it was the first time an Indian qualified for the final of an archery event, across the Paralympics and the Olympics.

The ninth seed had a nervy start to his campaign, defeating Tseng Lung-Hui 7-3 in the Round of 32. He had a solitary 10 in all the five sets combined. Interestingly, the Chinese Taipei archer made the headlines, as he is competing at the age of 65.

The round of 16 against Setiawan Setiawan saw the Indian settling down, with only one arrow in the entire match landing outside the yellow zone. While the Indonesian clinched the first set 28-27, Harvinder score 28 in each of his next three sets, thus managing to secure two set points for each of them and clinched the match 6-2.

In the quarter-finals Harvinder was clutch, as he won the match by an identical margin as the previous one. He had a number of arrows in the red zone, including a 7 in the fourth set. However, he showed great resolve when it mattered. The Indian needed a 10 on the final arrow of the third set to split set points and another 10 on the final arrow of the fourth set to win the set and the match. He delivered on both occasions.

Harvinder had a slow start in the semi-final against fourth seed Mohammed Reza Arab Ameri. The Iranian picked up the first set 26-25. Harvinder then won 27 points in the next two sets, to split points in the second and earn two set points in the third.

This put the fourth seed under immense pressure and he started a second consecutive set with a 7. The Indian, by virtue of winning this fourth set 26-24 went up 5-3. It is worth noting that the nineth seed had closed out the third and fourth sets with a 10.

He then clinched the first set 26-25 to secure a spot in the final, where he dished out a dominating performance to win without breaking a sweat.

Harvinder had to face adversity early in his life. When he was just 18 months old, he contracted dengue and had to take injections. The side effect of those injections led to the loss of function in his legs. Having been inspired to take up Para-archery after watching the London 2012 Paralympics, the Indian has won three Asian Para Games medals, including a gold in the individual event at the 2018 Jakarta Games.

Harvinder Singh will be back in action on Thursday, as he will partner Pooja in the Archery Recurve Mixed Team Open event. The 33-year-old Indian has already won two medals in a sport, in which fully able and para-athletes alike, around the globe, struggle with nerves. He now has the chance to come joint top in the list of Indians with the highest number of Paralympic medals. What a story that would be, if it were to come true!

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