Sharmila Dhankar Wins Historic Gold, Shilpa Shyla Bags Bronze in Para Shot Put at Commonwealth Games 2026

Sharmila Dhankar clinched the gold medal and Shilpa Shyla got the bronze medal at the Women’s F57 Shot Put event. This is a historic win for India as it marks the first gold medal for the country in the Para Athletics segment at the Commonwealth Games and also the first time that medal in the same discipline has been earned twice at the Games. Additionally, Sharmila’s throw of 9.81 meters and Shilpa’s throw of 7.26 meters shows that India is on its way to becoming a global powerhouse in the field of para sports.

Sharmila Dhankar Creates History With her Gold

Sharmila Dhankar delivered the sensational performance in the final of Women’s F57 Shot put.

She threw the best throw of her season which measured 9.81 meters resulting in her winning the gold medal and making India wait 20 years for a Para Athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games.

With this historic achievement she became the first Indian person to win a medal in Para Athletics at Commonwealth Games.

Shilpa Shyla Won Bronze Medal

Indian thrower Shilpa Shyla won the bronze medal with a throw of 7.26 meters, which was her personal best throw in the women’s F-54 category in the Commonwealth Games.

Shilpa Shyla’s performance added to India’s remarkable achievement of accomplishing two medal victories in a para-athletics event in the Commonwealth Games for the first time in the history of the event.

With the bronze medal, Shilpa has proved her place among the top upcoming para throwers in the country.

Who is Sharmila Dhankar?

Sharmila Dhankar comes from Chhithroli village in Haryana.

Even though she was born in a wealthy farmer family, her life was full of struggles.

At the age of two, she got polio after a serious fever, and she became permanently disabled.

She studied at SDM School in Chhithroli, and then she encountered family problems including early marriage and domestic violence. With the help from her family, she changed her life and decided to go into sports.

Her husband Ajit Singh got her involved into para athletics. She started training under the coach Tek Chand in 2020.

In 2021, within one year, she became a champion of the National Championship and started her career as a sports person.

The Journey of Sharmila to Global Triumphs

Some of the major achievements that Sharmila achieved includes,

• Crowned as the National Champion in 2021
• Winning numerous medals in international events
• Setting various Indian national records
• Being ranked as the top athlete in India in the F57 category
• Winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the year 2026

While Sharmila did not meet with success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she has made a comeback with her sustained performances and strong results.

India’s Historic Success in Para Athletics

The Women’s F57 Shot Put event has marked a landmark moment for para sports in India.

There were several firsts accomplished by India,

• First Commonwealth Games Gold Medal in Para Athletics.
• First Indian women to win a medal in Para Athletics at the Commonwealth Games.
• First time that India has won a medal in the same event at the Commonwealth Games.
• A 20-year wait for a medal in the Commonwealth Games in para athletics comes to an end.