Paralympics: Harvinder Singh wins first medal for India in archery

Tokyo: Harvinder Singh on Friday notched up India's first ever archery medal in the Paralympics, holding his nerve to down Kim Min Su of Korea in a thrilling shoot-off for the men's individual recurve bronze in the ongoing Games here.

An economics scholar from the Punjabi University, Patiala, Singh collected three shoot-off wins on the day starting with the opening round.

In the bronze play-off, the 31-year-old was leading 5-3 before the Kroean clinched the fifth set shooting a perfect 10 to force a shoot-off where the Indian responded in style shooting a perfect 10 against Kim's 8 for a 6-5 (26-24, 27-29, 28-25, 25-25, 26-27) (10-8) win.

In the semifinals, Singh lost to world No. 10 Kevin Mather of the USA 6-4 in an intense five-setter (25-28, 24-24, 25-25, 25-24, 24-26).

Singh, who hails from a small village Guhla Cheeka near Kaithal in Haryana, was stretched to the fullest in the first two rounds, but he showed resilience to overcome his fancied opponents via shoot-offs.

In the round of 32, Singh squandered a 4-0 lead against Stefano Travisani after shooting a 7 in the third set as his Italian rival made it 5-5to force a shoot-off.

Singh clinched the issue -- 6-5 (10-7) -- in style, shooting a perfect 10 in the tie-breaker as his rival managed just a 7.

In the last-16, Singh pipped former world No. 1 Bato Tsydendorzhiev of Russia, once again by the thinnest of margins 6-5 (8-7).

In the quarterfinals, Singh swept aside 49-year-old three-time Paralympian Maik Szarszewski of Germany 6-2 (25-21, 28-23, 25-28, 26-23) dropping just one set.