Undoubtedly, Singh’s most memorable moment came with his gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The time since has been the busiest of his life.
But the 34-year-old has no complaints – in fact, he says he’s enjoying this chapter. He’s been reconnecting with friends and family, giving motivational speeches, attending award functions, and taking part in commercial engagements.
Among his many accolades, Singh was awarded the Padma Shri, becoming the first Indian para archer to receive the honour. It is India’s fourth-highest civilian award, behind only the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. Fellow archers Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai were recognised with the award in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
“My life is very busy now. I’m socialising more, and people recognise me more than ever. I’m enjoying it, and I’ve been able to balance it well alongside my training,” said Singh, who continues to train at Patiala with longtime coach Gaurav Sharma.
“These honours are definitely a big boost to my preparation for the big goal – the LA28 Paralympic Games.”
Singh added that the experience of juggling training and public life isn’t new to him. It began after his historic bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 – India’s first-ever Paralympic medal in archery.
As a tribute to his achievements, an archery academy has been established in the town of Cheeka, just three kilometres from Singh’s hometown of Kaithal, in Haryana. Today, it trains around 40 young archers.
“The most touching moment is when young kids come up to me and say they’ve seen me on TV and want to play or train with me,” he said. “Knowing that my medal has inspired someone – that’s the greatest reward of all.”
