'I didn't want to be satisfied with silver, wanted to win gold' - Paris Paralympics gold medallist archer Harvinder Singh
(Courtesy : @OlympicKhel/Twitter)
Harvinder Singh spoke about his desire to maintain consistent performance in future international competitions.
Ace archer Harvinder Singh created history, becoming the first-ever Indian to clinch a Paralympic gold medal in archery at Paris Paralympics 2024. After having become the first-ever Indian archer to clinch a Paralympic medal, with a bronze in the Men’s Recurve Open Event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, Harvinder managed to change the colour of the medal at Paris.
He was one of the flag-bearers at the closing ceremony, accompanying India’s first ever Paralympic medallist in track events, Preethi Pal.
In an interaction with the media, the archer from Ajit Nagar Village in Kaithal, Haryana spoke about his preparation and mindset at the Paris Paralympics 2024, as well as his plans going forward.
Harvinder Singh stated that he was very satisfied with his preparations. “Luckily both my coaches, Gaurav Sharma Sir and Jeevan Sir were there with me at SAI Sonipat. One more good thing was that we came to France 15 early for training. We had a camp for two weeks days where I was performing well. We also dealt with how to handle pressure in the semifinal and the final and am happy that I could execute it.
“I worked on a few technical aspects. I was planning to go to Korea a few months back but luckily the Korean coach himself needed to come to SAI Sonipat for some work. This helped me. There was pressure on me, because everybody was asking me to change the colour of the medal at Tokyo.”
The three-time Asian Para Games medallist stated that during his days of preparation, he was focused on his own performances rather than worrying about his competitors. “During practice, we had athletes from two other countries too. However, I was only competing with myself.
“My coach used to make me practice saying that at every end, I need 29 to win and 28 to tie. Sir knew that only if I shoot 29 during practice, will I shoot 28-29 in the actual match in pressure situations.
“Solo practice helps to an extent. Usually, I practice in the ground. But when I go home, I make sure that I don’t lose touch. A target has been installed in my village where I practice.”
Harvinder Singh in Paris Paralympics 2024
The ninth seed had a nervy start to his campaign in Paris, getting past 65-year-old Tseng Lung-Hui 7-3 in the Round of 32. He had a solitary 10 in all the five sets combined. The round of 16 against Setiawan saw the Indian settling down, with only one arrow in the four-setter landing outside the yellow zone (comprising 9 and 10), winning the match 6-2.
“We had got familiarization before the start of the competition. I was playing the first match 5-6 days after this familiarization. A lot of things change in this duration. I was shooting for the first time, in front of such a large crowd. At Tokyo, we didn’t have any spectators due to Covid.
“The Chinese Taipei archer was a two-time medallist. I was looking to get familiarised with conditions. I was under pressure and was lucky that I managed to win that match. After that, I knew things won’t be easy. I needed to perform even better, and I did exactly that.”
Harvinder Singh then secured a 6-2 victory against Colombian Hector Julio Ramirez in the quarter-final. 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.
In the semi-final, he defeated fourth seed Iranian Mohammed Reza Arab Ameri 7-3, after going a set down again. It is worth noting that for the umpteenth time, he clutched, closing out the third and fourth set with 10s.
The 33-year-old then put on a stunning performance in the final, thrashing sixth seed Pole Lukasz Ciszek 6-0. Stunningly, all of his nine arrows were in the yellow zone.
Also Read: Top 15 Indian athletes with most medals won at Paralympics
He gave an insight into his strategy and mindset entering the final. “When I reached the final, I became very happy as India was now assured of a medal. After some time, I realized that I can’t be satisfied with silver—I have to win gold. My phone was switched off since morning so as to be focused on that environment. I spoke to my coach.
“We had discussed that in the final, we need to put pressure right from the beginning. I have seen athletes lose matches from a position of advantage. I didn’t want to give my opponent any chance and wanted to finish off the match. Every arrow is important, every arrow must be placed properly and I was successful in that.
“My coaches instructed me to take more time. This was why I took 3-4 more seconds to release the arrow. Under pressure, there is less chance that a shot for which you take time will go awry. I also focused on controlling my thoughts and not getting ahead of myself.”
Also Read: Paris Paralympics 2024: Sports in which India won its first-ever gold
Harvinder Singh heartbreakingly missed out on a record equaling third Paralympics medal as he and Pooja finished fourth in the Mixed Team event, after losing the bronze medal match 5-4 against Slovenia. Despite his teammate struggling for rhythm on a rainy day, the archer put on a good performance, a day after the highs of the individual gold.
He spoke about how he was trying to combat the challenging conditions posed by the heavy rains. “I had practised in India, two months ago in the rain. For 5-10 minutes, in the rains, you need to find out which side your arrows are going. You need to have self-confidence.
“We get to practice one hour before the match. I fired one-two rounds to verify the dip on the arrows due to the rain and the wind. Sadly, we missed out on a medal and finished fourth.”
Harvinder Singh on his goals for the future and pursuing academics
With the Paris Games done, Harvinder Singh is not resting on his laurels. He wants to perform even better in the upcoming international competitions and gain more recognition for India.
“Every athlete dream to win gold in international competitions, see our flag fly the highest and listen to our national anthem being played. I experienced this in Paris, and I wish to repeat this in future competitions. My target is to perform well in World Championships and Asian tournaments.
“I need to keep up this performance. After my medal at Tokyo, a number of new archers had emerged. I am sure that this medal too will help in the progress of para-archery in the country.”
The two-time Paralympic medallist is also destroying the myth that athletes have to make a choice and not pursue both academics and sports. He is pursuing PhD in Economics at the Punjab University, Patiala. “Till 2018, I was mainly focused on my studies. After that I shifted attention to sports. This is why my PhD got delayed.
“I had to prepare hard for big competitions, hence I didn’t get time. But I am hopeful that I will finish my PhD in a few months. I want to spend time with my family but am confident that I will finish my studies too.”
Harvinder Singh also had a word of advice for young Indian para-athletes. “Keep faith in yourself and in your coaches. You will neither win medals in every competition nor underperform in every competition. If you don’t win a medal, you should be motivated to work harder. You should be motivated to win a medal for our country.”
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