Glasgow, July 28: Sharmila Dhankhar of India dedicated her historic gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games to her blind mother. Sharmila achieved a season-best throw of 9.81 meters to win the women’s shot put F57 title. She is the first para-athlete from India to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Para Athletics.
Her victory not only ended a 20-year wait for India in Commonwealth Games para-athletics medals but also marked a landmark double podium finish alongside compatriot Shilpa Shaila, who secured the bronze medal.
After her historic win, Sharmila expressed her emotions, stating, “I will dedicate this medal to my mother. She is blind, and despite the challenges, she has supported me since childhood. I am very happy to have fulfilled my mother’s dream.”
This achievement is significant not just for the 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign but also for the entire Indian para-athletics community. Sharmila emphasized that this medal belongs to the country and hopes it inspires many more to achieve podium finishes in the coming years.
She added, “We are very happy. We will continue to win medals for our country. We will keep working hard and prepare well for the next Commonwealth Games. This is our first gold medal in para-athletics.”
Despite making history in Glasgow, the new Commonwealth champion has yet to fully grasp the importance of her success.
Sharmila remarked, “I am very happy to have won this medal. But I don’t know. I will realize it in 2-3 days that I have won a medal. It feels like a dream.”
After winning her first major international gold medal, Sharmila is now focused on future challenges. She stated, “We will compete in the next Olympic Games. This is my first medal, and I want to win more medals in the future.”
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