The Indian nation celebrated the historic moment at the 2026 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland with the victory of Sharmila Dhankar in the women’s para athletics category. The Haryana para-athlete performed extremely well and clinched the gold medal with her best-ever throw in the women’s shot put F57 event with a measurement of 9.81 metres. This is the historic moment for Indian para sports as well as an end of their 20-year-long struggle to win a para athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Sharmila Dhankar performed exceptionally well with her perfect mental attitude in the competition and overcame all the international para athletes who competed against her. This gold medal win is the first-ever para athletics gold medal win in the Commonwealth Games in the history of Indian nation.
Polio affected Sharmila’s left leg when she was only two years old, yet she never let that define her sporting career. Earlier this year, she took home the gold medal at the Fazza International Para Athletics Championship, and this showed her prowess in advance of the Commonwealth Games. Coming fourth in the last games held in Birmingham in 2022, her winning performance at Glasgow was truly remarkable for her.
India’s success in the race was even sweeter with their fellow para-athlete, Shilpa K. Shyla, claiming the bronze medal after protest, making it two medals for India in the women’s shot put F57 event. It was the first-ever time that India had clinched double podiums in para athletics in the Commonwealth Games.
However, Dhankar’s win was not only a landmark event but also marked India’s excellent performance on day 5 of the Commonwealth Games as India managed to secure six medals in athletics, para athletics, and weightlifting.
Sharmila Dhankar’s gold-winning throw will be regarded as a landmark feat in India’s sporting history. In addition to the medal won by Dhankar, her inspiring success story is an embodiment of strength, determination, and the growing prowess of para athletes in India.
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