Harvinder Singh’s journey of perseverance and precision

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT is presented by WIAWIS.

From quiet beginnings in rural Haryana to the prestigious podiums of the Paralympics and continental championships, Harvinder Singh‘s journey isn’t just remarkable – it’s revolutionary. 

The talented archer is now coming off a breathtaking double gold performance at the 2025 Asia Para Archery Championships in Beijing early July. He has once again proven why he’s regarded as one of the most reliable names in world para-archery, powering his nation to a second-place finish.

Fresh from victory, Singh remains focused on the bigger picture.

“The success in Beijing is another step towards the world championships and next year’s Asian Para Games,” he said. “Though I missed out on setting a new world record, there were some mistakes, but I hope I can grab the opportunity next time.”

Singh captured the attention of fans worldwide with his statement performance in Beijing. Not only did he set a new competition record of 663 points in the qualifying round, but he followed this up with a dominant 7-1 win over Thailand’s Hanreuchai Netsiri in the recurve men’s final to secure India’s third gold of the meet.

Earlier in the competition, he paired with Bhawna, and the Indian duo came out on top against China in an enthralling shoot-off. This victory came after a tense end to the final where a missed arrow by China’s Gao Zihan was enough to secure India its first gold of the championships. 

Singh reflected on this intense encounter.

“I try to stay emotion-free and thought-free – I don’t think much about the result during the competition.”

“In this match, I kept on telling my teammate that we will do well in the next end, and we pushed the match to the last set and then won the tie-breaker. It was a great match.”

Harvinder’s path to success has been paved with challenges; however, the 33-year-old has managed to use these adversities as motivation. Due to a medical complication, Singh lost permanent mobility in his left leg as a child.

He refused to let this disability dent his dreams and ambitions. Harvinder became immersed in archery at university and also worked his way up the academic ladder, where he earned a master’s degree in economics.

Reflecting on his growth, Singh credits preparation and mindset.

“I think my preparation was very good for this event. The score in the qualification was my best ever – I never shot this score even during my trials in India.”

“There was no pressure to win gold; I was only focused on performing well.”

Significantly, Singh has had many triumphs. In 2018, he won gold at the Asian Para Games in Jakarta. Just years later, he became India’s first Paralympic medallist in archery, obtaining a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

And in Paris 2024, he achieved an even greater feat and wrote a new chapter in Indian sporting history, when he defeated Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in straight sets to become India’s first Paralympic gold medallist in archery. 

Each success, each medal has been a reflection of his dedication, consistency and mindset.

His teammates have nothing but praise and consider him a leader with his wealth of experience contributing to the Indian team achieving their best-ever result at the Asian Para Archery Championships, securing nine medals – a performance that placed them second in the overall medal tally in Beijing, behind host China.

“Team India is slowly and steadily becoming a strong team – archers are winning medals in every competition they compete,” the Paralympic Champion explained. “The numbers of archers in India are also increasing and that’s the reason we can have good teams.”

“I hope in the future we can win medals in other team events.”

Whether he’s breaking records, inspiring young athletes in India or quietly practicing his trade, Harvinder Singh remains a living testament to what happens when resilience meets opportunity.