Sharmila Creates History, Wins India's First Commonwealth Para Athletics Gold

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed Sharmila Dhankar's historic triumph at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, congratulating the Indian para-athlete for winning the gold medal in the Women's Shot Put F57 event with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres. Calling it a moment that created history, the Prime Minister said the victory ended India's two-decade wait for a Para Athletics gold at the Commonwealth Games and reflected the country's growing excellence in para sports.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote, "History has been created in Glasgow! Congratulations to Sharmila for a very special Gold in the Women's Shot Put F57 event and also for a season-best throw. This remarkable performance ends a two decade long wait for a Para Athletics Gold at the Commonwealth Games. My best wishes for the endeavours ahead."

The 40-year-old athlete from Haryana became India's first-ever Commonwealth Games para-athletics gold medallist, marking a watershed moment for Indian sport. Her title-winning effort also ended a 20-year wait for a para-athletics medal at the Games, with India's previous medal in the discipline dating back to 2006.

India's celebrations grew further as Shilpa K. Shyla secured the bronze medal in the same event after Nigeria's Eucharia Iyiazi was disqualified following an official review, giving India its first-ever double podium finish in a Commonwealth Games para-athletics event.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha also congratulated Sharmila, describing her achievement as a defining moment for Indian para sports.

The F57 classification is meant for athletes with lower-limb impairments competing in seated throwing events using specially designed throwing frames. Sharmila's journey to the top has been equally inspiring. Having contracted polio in childhood and overcome immense personal hardships, she took up para athletics in her mid-thirties and steadily rose through the ranks. She represented India at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, where she recorded a personal best of 10.03 metres.

Sharmila dedicated her historic gold to her mother, saying the triumph fulfilled a shared dream. Her success is being seen as another milestone in the rapid rise of India's para-sports ecosystem, fuelled by stronger institutional support, improved training infrastructure and the growing global success of Indian para athletes.