Who is Harvinder Singh, the first para-archer to win a gold medal for India at Paralympics?
Both his legs were left impaired at a very young age due to the adverse effects of a medicine. However, Harvinder fought through the impediments and found a passion for archery. He became India's first-ever archery medalist after he bagged a bronze in Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
On Wednesday, Harvinder Singh added yet another 'first-ever' to his record. Harvinder Singh became India's first-ever Paralympic gold medalist in archery at the ongoing Paris Paralympics. This is Harvinder's second medal in the Paralympics, and three years ago in Tokyo, he became India's first-ever archery medalist after he bagged a bronze there.
CREDIT: ANI
Who is Harvinder Singh?
Hailing from a family of farmers from Ajit Nagar in Haryana, 33-year-old Harvinder is also pursuing a PhD in Economics. Both his legs were left impaired at a very young age due to the adverse effects of a medicine.
Tears up just a bit, nice big gulp at the end - emotions for Harvinder Singh as the national anthem plays for the first time in Paralympic archery
¡ª Lavanya ??????? (@lav_narayanan) September 4, 2024
Crowd shouts Bharat Mata ki....
Harvinder finishes the chant - "....jaaai"
What a moment for Harvinder. What a moment for India!¡ pic.twitter.com/H7FSVbZ1m7
When he was just one and a half years old, he contracted dengue, and the side effects of injections administered to him resulted in a life-long disability.
However, Harvinder fought through the impediments and found a passion for archery after getting inspiration from the 2012 London Paralympics.
CREDIT: REUTERS
He made his debut at the 2017 Para Archery World Championship, finishing seventh. He won his first gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games.
First-ever Indian to medal in Tokyo 2020. ?
¡ª World Archery (@worldarchery) September 4, 2024
First-ever Indian to win the Paralympic Games. ?
Harvinder Singh just made history in Paris.#ArcheryInParis #ParaArchery @india_archery pic.twitter.com/a9V0TeDCiS
When family farm turned training ground
During the COVID-19 lockdown, when Harvinder could not continue his training, his father turned their farm into an archery range to support him.
#Paris2024 #Paralympics
¡ª Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) September 4, 2024
? As he makes history in Paris, here's a fun Harvinder Singh throwback video.
Before Tokyo, to keep his training going during lockdown, he asked his father if he could convert the farm into a practice area.
And he did. ?pic.twitter.com/uRifbx35hA
His family's efforts paid off as Harvinder returned home with a bronze medal, the first-ever for India in para-archery at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Also read: With two golds on Day 7, India surpasses all-time high medal tally in Paralympics
CREDIT: ANI
PM Modi, President Murmu congratulate Harvinder Singh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Harvinder for winning his first gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
"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," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
CREDIT: ANI
President Droupadi Murmu also congratulated him on winning a gold medal for India.
"My heartiest congratulations to Harvinder Singh on winning the gold medal in the men's individual recurve para archery event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. This is Harvinder's second medal at consecutive Paralympics and the first-ever gold medal in para archery for India. His exceptional performance under tremendous pressure is inspirational. I wish he brings more glory to the tricolour," President Murmu wrote on X.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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