India celebrated a landmark moment in its sporting history as Sharmila Dhankar clinched the country’s first-ever gold medal in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games, winning the women’s Shot Put F57 event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The 40-year-old para athlete produced a season-best throw of 9.81 metres, ending India’s 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games para athletics medal. Her remarkable achievement also made her the first Indian woman to win a para athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games, marking a major milestone for Indian para sports.
Sharmila’s historic victory headlined India’s best day of the Games so far, with the contingent securing six medals on Day 5. Alongside her gold, Gyaneshwari Yadav, Sarvesh Kushare, and Valluri Ajaya Babu claimed silver medals, while Bindyarani Devi added a bronze in weightlifting. India also celebrated another breakthrough in para athletics as Shilpa Shyla was upgraded to the bronze medal in the same F57 shot put event following the disqualification of a Nigerian athlete, giving India its first-ever double podium finish in a para athletics event at the Commonwealth Games.
The outstanding performances propelled India to eighth place in the overall Commonwealth Games medal standings, taking the country’s tally to 10 medals and reinforcing its growing strength across athletics, para sports and weightlifting. Sharmila’s triumph is being hailed as a defining moment for Indian para athletics and a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes across the country. Her journey, marked by resilience and determination, has once again demonstrated India’s rising stature on the global sporting stage.