Glasgow: India's Sharmila Dhankar dedicated her historic Commonwealth Games gold medal to her visually impaired mother after producing a season-best throw of 9.81m to win the women's shot put F57 title, becoming the country's first-ever para-athletics gold medallist at the Games.
Her victory not only ended India's 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games para-athletics medal but also spearheaded a landmark double podium finish alongside compatriot Shilpa Shyla, who claimed bronze following a successful post-event protest and review.
While the achievement will be remembered as a watershed moment for Indian para-athletics, Sharmila said her thoughts immediately turned to the person who stood by her throughout her journey.
“I will dedicate this medal to my mother. My mother is blind, and despite criticism from all round, she has been supporting me ever since I was a kid. I am very happy that I have fulfilled my mother's dream,” Sharmila told IANS.
The victory marked a breakthrough not only for the 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign but also for Indian para-athletics as a whole. Sharmila said the medal belonged to the country and hoped it would inspire many more podium finishes in the years ahead.
“We are very happy. We will continue to win medals for our country. We will continue to work hard. We will prepare well for the next Commonwealth Games. This is the first gold medal of our Parathletics,” she added.
Despite scripting history in Glasgow, the significance of the achievement had yet to fully sink in for the new Commonwealth champion.
“I am very happy to win this medal. But I don't know. I will realise after 2-3 days that I have won the medal. It feels like a dream,” Sharmila stated.
With her maiden major international gold now secured, Sharmila has already shifted her attention to the challenges that lie ahead, setting her sights on an even bigger stage, as she said, “We will play in the next Olympic Games. This is my first medal and I want to win more medals in the future.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games champion also pledged to continue striving for excellence while hoping fellow Indian athletes enjoy similar success. “Gold is for our country. I want all athletes to win gold. I will keep winning and will work hard. This medal has made the path for my future even brighter. I will work hard and will make a good record.”
India's celebrations were further enhanced by Shilpa Shyla, who secured the bronze medal in dramatic fashion after officials upheld a post-event protest that invalidated Nigeria's Eucharia Iyiazi's mark. Shilpa's personal-best throw of 7.26m elevated her onto the podium, ensuring India finished with both gold and bronze in the women's shot put F57 competition.
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