In a decisive final match, he outclassed Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek with a score of 6-0 (28-24, 28-27, 29-25).
Harvinder, who is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Economics, had previously won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics after losing to Kevin Mather of the USA in the semifinals.
This time, he showcased his exceptional skills and determination by winning five consecutive matches in a single day, displaying no signs of fatigue or nervousness.
The Indian archer’s achievement is all the more remarkable considering that both his legs are impaired due to the side effects of dengue treatment he underwent as a toddler.
Harvinder’s gold medal triumph marks India’s second medal in archery at the Paralympics.
Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi secured a bronze medal in the mixed compound open category on Monday.
Harvinder Singh, India’s first Paralympic medallist in archery, cruised past world No. 9 Hector Julio Ramirez of Colombia with a 6-2 victory in the quarterfinals, after earlier defeating Tseng Lung-Hui of Chinese Taipei 7-3 in the round of 32.
In the pre-quarterfinals, Harvinder overcame an initial set deficit to defeat Indonesia’s Setiawan Setiawan 6-2.
He made history by becoming the first Indian archer to reach a Paralympic final, overturning a 1-3 deficit to beat Iran’s Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri 7-3.
In each match, Harvinder demonstrated remarkable resilience, mounting comebacks to stay in contention.
In the final, Harvinder showcased a new level of precision, conceding only two points and securing the first set with a dominant four-point lead.
Though Ciszek rallied in the second set, landing three 9s, Harvinder Singh’s unwavering focus and precision shooting – scoring another 28 -allowed him to edge out Ciszek by just one point, extending his lead to 4-0.
Harvinder then delivered a brilliant hat-trick of 10s, including a perfect inner 10 (X), further increasing the pressure on his opponent.
Ciszek stumbled with a 7, followed by a 9, while Harvinder sealed the gold with a decisive 9 on his final arrow.
In the stands, Sheetal Devi was seen celebrating enthusiastically as Harvinder bowed, embraced his coach, and proudly waved the Indian flag.
In the semifinal, Harvinder narrowly lost the first set 25-26 and tied the second 27-27.
Keeping his cool, Harvinder delivered clutch performances with consecutive 10s on his final arrows of the third and fourth sets, winning them 27-25 and 26-24, taking a 5-3 lead.
Needing a set win in the final round to avoid a shoot-off, Harvinder Singh faced a tough challenge from Ameri, who started strong with an X (inner 10) and followed up with an 8, tying the set at 18-18 and setting the stage for a nail-biting final arrow.
Under pressure, Ameri faltered with a 7, giving Harvinder the opening to secure the match with an 8 and move forward.
In the recurve open class, archers shoot from a standing position, aiming at a 122cm target from a distance of 70 meters. The target consists of 10 concentric circles, with scores ranging from 10 points at the center to 1 point on the outer rings.
Harvinder, hailing from a family of farmers in Ajit Nagar, Haryana, overcame significant adversity early in life. At just one and a half years old, he contracted dengue, and due to side effects from injections, both his legs were left impaired.
Despite these early challenges, Harvinder found his passion for archery, inspired by the 2012 London Paralympics. He made his debut at the 2017 Para Archery World Championship, finishing seventh.
He went on to win gold at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta. During the COVID-19 lockdown, his father converted their farm into an archery range to support his training.
Harvinder made history by securing India’s first-ever archery medal – a bronze – at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
