India witnessed history and an unforgettable day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 as para-athletes Sharmila Dhankar and Shilpa K Shyla won gold in the Women's Shot Put F57 final. Sharmila won a gold medal with a dominant season-best throw of 9.81 metres, ending a 20-year wait for India to win a para-athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games. And Shilpa K Shyla won a bronze medal to complete India’s first double podium performance in para-athletics at the Games.
Sharmila’s path to the gold medal is an incredible story of grit and strength and breaking hurdles. Paediatric polio struck her at 2, and she suffered in the physical and personal sphere early in life. Introduced to sports by her husband Ajit Singh, she started para-athletics in 2020 at a late stage in her athletic career. Under trainer Tek Chand, she took the National Championship title one year later. After a poor performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she returned and developed herself as India's best thrower before she signed her name into history.
The event also featured high drama for Shilpa K Shyla. The 37-year-old Bengaluru-born athlete, who has been in the event for over a decade, was fourth in the final, missing out on a podium despite winning a personal-best throw of 7.26 metres. But an Indian protest filed against Nigeria’s Eucharia Iyiazi resulted in a review. Iyiazi’s throw was declared invalid, taking her out of bronze and taking Shilpa to third place. Shilpa lost both her legs in a tragic accident at the age of four; her bronze medal is a testament to her stubbornness and determination.
With these historic achievements in para-athletics, coupled with strong performances in other sports, India's overall medal count at the Glasgow Games rose to 10. With the weightlifters also putting up strong performances (such as a silver medal won by Valluri Ajaya Babu), the contingent's inspiring campaign is gaining momentum.
