Two teens and an economics scholar raise the bar

India’s unprecedented medal run at the Paralympics was led on Friday by a Delhi college student and a shooter who was winning her second medal at the Paralympic Games but was anything but satisfied by it. Then, our firstever archery medal, a feat yet to be achieved by the Olympians. Busy, ground-breaking days for the Indian para-athletes in Tokyo — for some, just another weekday — with three more medals coming on Day 11 and the shuttlers assuring at least two more in the coming days.
Praveen Kumar, a Bachelor of Arts senior at Motilal Nehru College, set a new Asian record to claim the high jump T64 silver to start the day on a bright note for India. The 18-yer-old Praveen’s feat was followed by Avani Lekhara who claimed her second medal at the Games, a bronze in the women’s 50m Rifle 3 position SH1 event. Avani had earlier won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event. “This is my first international medal in the 3P event,” she said, “But I am not very satisfied.”
Why, we’ll tell you in a little bit, for now allow what Harvinder Singh did to slowly sink in.
The Sikh archer – pursuing a PhD in Economics -- capped the day brilliantly with a recurve bronze by beating Kim Min Su, a South Korean archer, folk who are often regarded as the gold standard in this ancient sport. Harvinder had lost his recurve archery semifinal in the last shot but showed rare nerves to win the bronze-medal play off in a shoot-off. In fact, it was the third shoot-off of the day for the 30-year-old from Haryana. “They have started calling me shoot-off master,” said Harvinder, who prepared for the Paralympics by converting a part of his family farm into a makeshift archery range. “But I prefer such contests. I had come here prepared for exactly this,” he added.
Harvinder besting the Korean meant that India took their tally to 13, their best-ever at the Games. The tally includes two gold, six silver and five bronze. Shuttlers Manoj Sarkar and Pramod Bhagat, in SL3 category, and Noida district magistrate Suhas LY and Tarun Dhillon, in SL4 category, advanced to the semis in men’s singles, ensuring at least two medals from the courts. Krishna Nagar in men’s SH6 category and Bhagat-Palak Kohli pair in mixed doubles have also booked last-four berths.