Harvinder Singh will be among India’s key medal contenders in para-archery at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as the Paralympic champion looks to add another major title to his career.
The Haryana-born archer made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics by becoming India’s first gold medallist in para-archery.
Singh, who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics before securing gold in Paris, is competing in the men’s recurve category at the continental event. The para-archery competition is scheduled from 19 to 24 October, with the men’s individual recurve finals slated for 24 October in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture.
Born on 25 February 1991, hails from Ajit Nagar village in Haryana’s Kaithal district. He comes from a farming family, and his journey in archery began after a medical complication during his childhood left him with a permanent impairment in his legs.
Harvinder contracted dengue when he was around one-and-a-half years old. The side effects of the injections administered during treatment affected his legs, resulting in a lifelong physical disability.
His introduction to archery came much later. Watching the London 2012 Paralympics sparked his interest in the sport, setting him on a path that would eventually take him to the top of international para-archery.
Singh made his international debut at the 2017 Para Archery World Championships, where he finished seventh. His first major breakthrough followed at the 2018 in Jakarta, where he won gold, establishing himself as one of India’s leading para-archers.
Singh’s biggest breakthrough on the stage came at Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He won bronze in the men’s individual recurve open event, becoming India’s first Paralympic medallist in archery.
Three years later, he returned to the Paralympic podium in Paris with a historic gold medal. Singh defeated Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in the men’s individual recurve open final on 4 September 2024, securing India’s first Paralympic gold in para-archery.
The victory followed a ninth-place finish in the ranking round, underlining his progress through the elimination stages. His Paris triumph also made him one of India’s most prominent athletes in para-archery.
Beyond competition, Singh has continued his academic pursuits alongside elite-level sport. He has been pursuing a PhD in economics at Punjabi University in Patiala.
Singh’s family played an important role in supporting his sporting ambitions. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when access to regular training facilities was restricted, his father converted part of their farmland into an archery practice range.
The arrangement allowed Singh to continue training during a period when the pandemic disrupted sporting preparations worldwide. His experience training on the family farm became an important part of his journey towards the Tokyo Paralympics.
At the , Singh’s focus returns to the recurve target as he seeks another continental title. The men’s individual recurve competition culminates on 24 October, giving the Indian archer an opportunity to add to his Asian Para Games record and build on the success of Paris.
