Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Harvinder Singh today created history by bagging gold medal in the Paralympic Games. Singh won the top medal after winning the final of the Men’s Individual Recurve Open competition. He had stormed into the finals after beating Iran’s Arab Ameri Mohammad Reza. Archer Harvinder Singh made history at the Paris Paralympics by becoming the first-ever Indian archer to win a Paralympic gold. On Wednesday, he triumphed over Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in the final of the men’s individual recurve open event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him for the feat. “A very special Gold in Para Archery! Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024! His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment,” said PM. Modi.
A very special Gold in Para Archery!
Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024!
His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment.… pic.twitter.com/CFFl8p7yP2 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2024
In the semifinals, the 33-year-old Harvincer from Kaithal in Haryana came up with a brilliant performance, coming back after losing the first set to stun the Iranian 7-3, sealing a place in the maiden final at the Paralympic Games.
In the semifinal, Harvinder lost the first set 26-25 because of a seven on his second arrow. The second set ended in a tie at 27-27. he then leveled scores at 3-3 by winning the third set 27-25 and surged ahead to a 5-3 set points lead by winning the fourth set 26-24.
Harvinder Singh then sealed a place in the final with another steady performance, shooting two 9s and an eight for a 26-25 win after the Iranian started with a 10 but faltered for an eight and seven on his next two arrows.
Earlier, Harvinder, who had bagged a bronze medal in the Tokyo Paralympic Games after losing in the semifinals, got the better of Colombia’s Julio Ramirez Hector 6-2 in a quarterfinal clash.