India scripted a historic chapter in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as Sharmila Dhankar won the country’s first-ever Para Athletics gold medal, while Shilpa Shyla secured bronze in the Women’s F57 Shot Put, giving India its first double podium finish in a para athletics event at the Games.

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• Sharmila Dhankar won the gold medal in the Women’s F57 Shot Put at the Commonwealth Games 2026 with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres, creating history for Indian para athletics.
• Shilpa Shyla secured the bronze medal with a personal-best throw of 7.26 metres, completing India’s historic double podium finish in the same para athletics event at the Commonwealth Games.
• Sharmila’s victory marked India’s first-ever gold medal in Para Athletics at the Commonwealth Games and ended the country’s 20-year wait for a medal in the discipline.
• The achievement also marked the first time India has won two medals in the same para athletics event at the Commonwealth Games, highlighting the country’s growing strength in disability sports.
• Hailing from Chhithroli village in Haryana, Sharmila Dhankar overcame childhood polio, personal hardships, and social challenges before emerging as one of India’s leading para athletes.
• After beginning professional training in 2020, Sharmila became the National Champion in 2021, set multiple national records, earned the top national ranking in the F57 category, and has consistently excelled at international competitions.
• Shilpa Shyla’s bronze medal further underlined the depth of India’s para athletics programme and reflected the country’s steady rise as a competitive force in global para sports.
• India’s historic success in the Women’s F57 Shot Put reinforces the growing impact of investment in para sports, athlete development, and inclusive sporting excellence on the international stage.