Para archer Harvinder Singh hopes many archers will take his gold as an inspiration

Para archer Harvinder Singh hopes many archers will take his gold as an inspiration

no photo

|

Getty

Recurve archer Harvinder Singh, who has won a maiden archery gold medal at the Asian Para Games, has stated that he hopes his medal will make a new beginning for other archers to achieve what he has achieved. His was India's seventh gold medal at the ongoing Asian Para Games in Indonesia.

It was a struggle of six years which has brought archer Harvinder the coveted gold at the Asian Para Games, in the process he also became the first Individual to bag a gold medal in Archery Para Games. Harvinder Singh defeated China’s Zhao Lixue 6-0 in the final to achieve the feat in W2/S2 category. The W2 category of impairment covers athletes with paraplegia, diplegia or double leg amputation below the knee, requiring wheelchairs.

“Hope this medal is new beginning for para archers in India”, shared Singh to Indian Express.

Harvinder initially used to compete in the compound events but due to three back-to-back years of failure, he turned to recurve events on the advice of coach Jiwanjot Singh and ultimately managed to bag the gold at the Para games. 

“I was 18 months old when I was given a wrong injection by a local doctor after suffering from high fever, It meant that the muscles in my left leg remained weak and made me suffer from the limited impairment.

While studying at the Punjabi University, Patiala, I would follow archery on television during the London Olympics and I approached coach Jiwanjot Singh to pursue the sport. The standing position in archery requires a lot of balance and I would take all the weight on my right leg in an effort to support the position. After winning the gold medal today, I was reminded of all those training sessions and I hope this medal is a new beginning for para archers in India,” said Singh

With a couple of days to go in the 2018 Asian Para Games, India has already recorded its best-ever haul at an Asian Para games with 45 medals which includes seven gold, 15 silver and 23 bronze medals.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all