New Delhi

Harvinder Singh made history by becoming the first Indian para-athlete to win a maiden gold medal in the archery competition of the Paralympic Games in Paris on Wednesday. He also became the first Indian to bag a second successive medal in the Games adding to the bronze he claimed in Tokyo 2020.

In the gold medal match on Wednesday, Harvinder defeated Lukasz Ciszek of Poland 6-0 in the final

The series of double podium finishes continued for India after para-athletes Dharambir and Pranav Soorma bagged gold and silver medals, respectively, in the men's club throw F51 final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics.

"A very special gold in Para Archery! Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men's Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024!," PM Modi said in a post on his social media account.

"His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment," PM Modi wrote in his post.

A very special Gold in Para Archery!

Congratulations to Harvinder Singh for winning the Gold medal in the Men's Individual Recurve Open at the #Paralympics2024!

His precision, focus and unwavering spirit are outstanding. India is very happy with his accomplishment.… pic.twitter.com/CFFl8p7yP2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2024

With a consistent and rock-solid performance, Harvinder dominated the final, winning the first set 28-24. Up 2-0, Harvinder started the second set with two successive nines and then topped it with a 10 for 28 while Ciszek had three 9s for another narrow defeat.

Harvinder Singh, originally from Ajit Nagar village in Haryana's Kaithal district, belongs to a farmer family. When he was just one and a half years old, he contracted dengue and required injections for treatment. Unfortunately, the side effects of those injections led to the loss of function in his legs. Despite this setback, he discovered a passion for archery while watching the London Paralympics in 2012.

However, the deformity failed to prevent him from excelling in his chosen field.

Following another podium finish, India's medal total at the Paris Paralympics skyrocketed to 24, including five gold, nine silver and 10 bronze. The Indian contingent is now one medal away from hitting the 25-medal target set by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President Devendra Jhajharia.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have congratulated the para-athletes for winning their competitions.

Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated India's newest set of Paris Paralympics medallists for their performances at the ongoing marquee event.

PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Ajeet Singh Yadav, Sundar Singh Gurjar, Sharad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, and Deepthi Jeevanji, who have won medals in the Paralympic Games.

The PM shared his happiness about India's best-ever performance in the Paralympics and told the players that their performance has motivated the youth of the country, and it is their contribution that different sports are gaining popularity.

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The PM also asked the players to celebrate their victories without worrying about the colour of their medals, as everyone of them has made the country proud.