The seventh day of the Paris Paralympics 2024 brought immense joy and pride for India, with athletes stepping up and delivering a fantastic performance. India’s tally of medals rose to 24, thanks to four new additions on this day alone—two of which were gold. Let’s dive into the key moments of this memorable day.
Dharambir and Pranav Dominate the Club Throw
In the club throw event, Dharambir took the lead with a throw of 34.92m. His teammate, Pranav Soorma, wasn’t far behind, securing second place with his best throw of 34.59m. Both Indian athletes held the top two spots while other competitors were still in the race. It looked promising for India, though some athletes had yet to complete their throws. Unfortunately, Amit Kumar, another Indian participant, couldn’t stay in the medal zone as his best throw reached only 23.96m.
Harvinder Singh’s Golden Moment in Archery
Switching over to archery, Harvinder Singh stole the show. The 33-year-old Indian archer, who had previously won a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics, made history by securing India’s first-ever gold in Paralympic archery. His final match against Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek was anything but close. Harvinder wrapped it up in straight sets, with scores of 28-24, 28-27, and 29-25. His performance was calm and confident throughout, showing no signs of nerves.
Interestingly, Harvinder didn’t just win a gold medal—he played five back-to-back matches in a single day. Winning all of them showcased not only his skill but his endurance. What makes his journey even more inspiring is that he has been living with impaired legs due to a side effect of dengue treatment in his childhood. Yet, he continues to pursue his Ph.D. in Economics while shining on the world stage in archery.
A Day to Remember
September 4, 2024, will be etched in Indian sports history. With stellar performances from Dharambir and Pranav in the club throw and Harvinder Singh’s unforgettable victory in archery, India celebrated a day full of golden moments. The Paris Paralympics continues to bring out the best in athletes, and India is no exception!
