PARIS, September 5, 2024 — Harvinder Singh added a Paris 2024 gold to the bronze he won at Tokyo 2020, claiming India’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal in archery.

Three years after winning India’s first Paralympic archery medal, Singh made history once again by earning the country’s first gold in the sport. After the scoreboard showed his victory in the final of the men’s individual recurve open competition, he took a deep breath as the magnitude of his achievement sank in.

“The thing that was in my mind was, ‘I have done it for India’ because at the last Paralympics, I just won bronze,” Singh said. “I had to change the colour and perform well, and these are the things that I have done.”

Singh won the gold medal match against Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in straight sets, shooting the centre of the target four times. The crowd at the Invalides clapped after every arrow the 33-year-old Indian athlete shot.

Mohammad Reza Arab Ameri of Iran claimed the bronze medal. Singh’s confidence and determination took him to the top of the podium as he overcame a ninth-place slot from the ranking round to win gold. He celebrated with teammates, including Para archery star Sheetal Devi, who cheered him on from the stands.

“I will celebrate with my teammates because they will celebrate even more than me,” Singh said, adding that he was motivated to win after his teammates, Devi and Rakesh Kumar, captured bronze in the mixed team compound open—India’s first Para archery medal of the Paris 2024 Games.

“But the celebration will be going on for a few months,” Singh added.

A history-maker, Singh reflected on how his life changed drastically after becoming India’s first Para archery medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Now, as the country’s first Paralympic gold medallist in archery, he expects his life to change even more.

“After Tokyo, my life totally changed. I got a status – everyone recognised me as the first Paralympic medallist in archery. Now they can recognise me as the first-ever gold medallist in archery,” he said with a smile. “It means a lot to me.”

Singh’s journey to the top of the Paralympic podium began just 12 years ago when he took up archery after watching the London 2012 Olympic Games on TV.

“I liked how archery is unpredictable,” the Paralympic champion explained. “When you shoot, when your arrow is going to the target, that one second is very precious.”

However, Singh also faced hardships along the way. He competed at the Asian Para Games in 2018, just after his mother passed away. Singh, who felt his mother’s presence during the Paralympic Games in Paris, shared his thoughts:

“I was actually thinking about her before the matches and even after winning this gold medal about how happy she would be if she were here. That is a thing that unfortunately we just have to move on from. That’s the reality. She was always on my mind.”

Now that he has achieved one of his biggest dreams, Singh is ready to take some time off to relax and spend time with his family. Afterward, he will set his sights on a gold medal at the World Championships—the only medal missing from his collection.

“I want to continue playing for India to win medals for my country, making Indians, my coaches, and my family proud,” Singh said. “That is my goal even now.”

With Singh’s gold medal, India surpassed its previous best Paralympic medal haul of 19, achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The country’s tally at the Paris 2024 Paralympics currently stands at 22 medals.