CWG 2026: Sharmila Dedicates Historic Para-Athletics Gold To Visually Impaired Mother
India’s Sharmila Dhankar dedicated her historic Commonwealth Games gold medal to her visually impaired mother after clinching the women’s shot put F57 title with a season-best throw of 9.81m, becoming the country’s first para-athletics gold medallist at the Games.
The victory also ended India’s 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games para-athletics medal and led a memorable Indian one-two on the podium, with Shilpa Shyla taking bronze after a successful post-event protest.
“I will dedicate this medal to my mother. My mother is blind, and despite criticism from all around, she has supported me ever since I was a kid. I am very happy that I have fulfilled my mother’s dream,” Sharmila told IANS.
Calling it a proud moment for Indian para-athletics, the 2026 Commonwealth Games champion said the gold belonged to the country and hoped it would inspire many more medals in the future.
“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 para-athletics,” she said.
Sharmila admitted the magnitude of her achievement had yet to sink in.
“I am very happy to win this medal. But I don’t know. I will realise after two or three days that I have won the medal. It feels like a dream,” she said.
The Indian thrower has already shifted her focus to future competitions, saying she hopes to compete at the next Paralympic Games and add more medals to her tally.
“We will play in the next Olympic Games. This is my first medal and I want to win more medals in the future,” she said.
India’s celebrations were further boosted by Shilpa Shyla, whose personal-best throw of 7.26m earned her the bronze after officials upheld India’s protest and invalidated Nigerian athlete Eucharia Iyiazi’s mark, sealing a double podium finish in the women’s shot put F57 event.
