Harvinder strikes gold, Sachin adds Silver as India’s Paralympic medal count reaches 22
Paris: The Indian contingent at the Paris Paralympic Games continued their impressive medal-winning run, with two standout performances on Wednesday. Harvinder Singh made history by becoming the first Indian archer to clinch a gold medal at the Paralympics, while Sachin Sarjerao Khilari added a silver in the men’s shot put F46 event.
Harvinder, a 33-year-old pursuing a Ph D in Economics, put on a dominant display to defeat Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek 6-0 in the men’s individual recurve final. The Indian archer, who had won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, showed remarkable composure and skill throughout the day, winning five consecutive matches to reach the gold medal match.
“It’s a dream come true to win India’s first ever archery gold medal at the Paralympics,” an elated Harvinder said after his historic triumph. “I lost in the semifinals in Tokyo, but I was determined to come back stronger and make my country proud.”
Harvinder’s journey to the top has been anything but easy. Both his legs are impaired due to the side effects of the dengue treatment he underwent as a toddler. However, this has not deterred his passion and dedication to the sport.
“Archery has been my life for the past several years,” Harvinder explained. “Despite the physical challenges, I’ve worked tirelessly to hone my skills and compete at the highest level. This gold medal is a testament to my hard work and the support of my family, coaches, and the entire nation,” he added.
Harvinder’s achievement was complemented by another impressive performance from Sachin Sarjerao Khilari in the men’s shot put F46 event. The 34-year-old world champion clinched a silver medal with an Asian record throw of 16.32 metres.
Khilari, a mechanical engineering degree holder, had won gold at the 2018 Asian Para Games. However, his effort in Paris was not enough to surpass the defending champion, Greg Stewart of Canada, who recorded a throw of 16.38 metres to retain his title.
“I had wanted to win the gold medal, but it did not happen,” said a disappointed Khilari. “It’s my best distance, but I feel I could have done better. I will work harder and I hope to beat him next time.”
Khilari’s silver was the 11th medal won by India’s track and field athletes at the ongoing Paralympic Games, contributing more than half of the country’s overall tally of 22 medals, including 4 gold.
Late on Tuesday night, Indians won silver and bronze in both men’s high jump T63 and javelin throw F46 after Deepthi Jeevanji’s bronze in the women’s 400m T20 category.
Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu won silver and bronze respectively in the men’s high jump T63 while Ajeet Singh and Sundar Singh Gurjar took the second and third spots in the javelin throw F46 final.
