Harvinder Singh etched his name in history at the Paris Paralympics, becoming the first Indian Paralympian archer to win gold after defeating Lukasz Ciszek of Poland 6-0 in the Men's Individual Recurve Open final. With a decisive 29-25 victory in the final set, Singh secured India's fourth gold at the games, marking a monumental achievement for the country.
Harvinder's story began far from the archery fields. Raised in a farmer's family in Ajit Nagar, Haryana, his life took an unexpected turn at just one and a half years old when a dengue treatment left him with a permanent loss of function in his legs. Despite this setback, Harvinder found purpose through archery, inspired by the 2012 London Paralympics.
His debut in 2017 at the Para Archery World Championship saw him finish seventh, but it was just the beginning of a remarkable journey. A year later, he clinched gold at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games. During the pandemic, his father transformed their farm into an archery range, enabling Harvinder to continue honing his skills.
Singh had already made history at the Tokyo Paralympics, where he won India’s first-ever archery medal, a bronze. Alongside his sporting achievements, he remains committed to his academic pursuits, working towards a Ph.D. in economics, proving that his determination knows no bounds both on and off the field.