Sharmila Dhankar created history by becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the para-athletics event. While she won the medal in the women’s shot put F57 event, there were two Indians on the podium, as Shilpa Shyla claimed the bronze medal.
Sharmila Dhankar produced season-best performance to win historic gold
Sharmila totally dominated the day as she started with a 9.48 m distance before managing the 9.58 m and 9.81 m distances, respectively. Her third attempt was the season-best performance, which brought the gold medal for the nation. Her last three attempts resulted in 9.17m, 9.37m, and 9.60m, respectively. None of the other competitors managed to reach even the 8.70m mark.
Late drama set bronze medal for Shilpa Shyla
Ghanaian Zinabu Issah claimed the silver medal when her first attempt reached the 8.65m mark. Meanwhile, Shilpa dramatically claimed the bronze medal. Although Euchariya Iyiazi from Nigeria originally finished in the third position, as her valid throw was declared a foul, Indian athlete Shilpa has been awarded the bronze medal for her personal-best throw of 7.26 m.
Who is Sharmila Dhankar?
Born to a farming family in Chitrauli village in Haryana, Sharmila Dhankar contracted polio at the age of two. She has held national records in women’s F57 shot put multiple times, as she finished fourth in the CWG 2022 with a national record of 8.43 m.
Sharmila recorded a 9.77m throw in the 2025 Indian Open Para Athletics Championships to win the gold medal. In the 2026 Fazza International Para Athletics Championships, she won a gold medal in the women’s F57 shot put and a bronze medal in the women’s F57 discus throw.
