Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
How Harvinder Singh went from finishing 21st in the Ranking Round to winning the Bronze medal
It was a bridge too far but Harvinder crossed over with relative ease despite having the odds of the tournament stacked against him
Archer Harvinder singh posing with bronze medal during medal cermony (Source: World Archery)
Rank 21. This is where Harvinder Singh stood at the end of the qualification round. it seemed to be another problem for Indian archery as they failed to make it big in the qualification round of the event. This also meant he would be up against the toughest competitors in the field.
However, he fought back round by round. He was quiet most of the time and minding his own business throughout the tournament. He gave up the lead in his first round match up when he was winning 4-0. He ensured that his opponent did not have the last laugh as he shot a 10 in the shoot off to clinch the match. In the Round of 16 match, he again won 6-5 and beat the former World No 1. It was nail biting and did not seem likely that he would make it through to the final with such performances.
The quarterfinals were a breeze for him as he beat a veteran three time Paralympian with a score of 6-2. it was in the final that he got the better of his South Korea opponent with a shoot off arrow of 10 to the Korean's 8. It was not just the comebacks he made in the matches but in the overall tournament where he ensured a medal just through sheer grit and perseverance.
