Glasgow, July 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian para-athlete Sharmila Dhankar dedicated her historic Commonwealth Games gold medal to her visually impaired mother after becoming the country’s first-ever para-athletics gold medallist at the Games with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres in the women’s shot put F57 event.
The landmark victory also ended India’s 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games para-athletics medal and led a memorable outing for the country, with compatriot Shilpa Shyla securing the bronze medal to complete a double podium finish for India.
Speaking after her triumph, an emotional Sharmila credited her mother for standing by her despite facing criticism over the years.
“I dedicate this medal to my mother. My mother is blind, and despite criticism from all around, she has supported me since my childhood. I am very happy that I have fulfilled her dream,” she told IANS.
Describing the achievement as a proud moment for Indian para-athletics, Sharmila said the gold medal belonged to the country and expressed hope that many more Indian athletes would achieve similar success in future international competitions.
“We are very happy. We will continue to win medals for our country and work hard. This is the first gold medal for Indian para-athletics at the Commonwealth Games, and we will prepare well for the next edition,” she said.
Despite scripting history, the significance of her achievement had not yet fully sunk in.
“I am very happy, but it still feels like a dream. I think I will realise after two or three days that I have actually won this medal,” she said.
Sharmila has already turned her focus to future challenges, saying she hopes to compete at the Olympic Games and add more international medals to her collection.
“This is my first major medal, and I want to win many more in the future. I will continue working hard and aim to create new records,” she added.
India’s celebrations were further enhanced when Shilpa Shyla was awarded the bronze medal after officials upheld a post-event protest that resulted in the disqualification of Nigeria’s Eucharia Iyiazi’s mark. Shilpa’s personal-best throw of 7.26 metres earned her a place on the podium, ensuring India finished with both gold and bronze in the women’s shot put F57 event.
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