Sharmila Dhankar wins gold, Shilpa Shyla bronze in para shot put at CWG 2026
3 min readJul 28, 2026 03:05 AM Para-athlete Sharmila Dhankar clinched India’s second gold medal in this edition of the Commonwealth Games in the Women’s Shot Put F57 Final. Shipla Shyla, the other medall in the event walked away with bronze with a personal best throw of 7.26m.
Sharmila, who was born in a zamindar family in Haryana’s Chhithroli, ended India’s 20-year wait for a Para Athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games with a season-best throw of 9.81m. She also became India’s first-ever CWG Gold medall in Para Athletics and the first Indian woman to win a Para Athletics medal at the Games.
India has now won two medals in the same Para Athletics event for the first time at the CWG.
The now 40-year-old Sharmila had contracted polio at the age of two following a high fever. She completed her schooling at SDM School, Chhithroli. Despite facing significant personal challenges, including an early marriage and domestic violence in her first marriage, she rebuilt her life with the support of her family.
She is now happily married to Ajit Singh, a businessman from Rewari, and they have two children. Introduced to sports her husband, Sharmila began her para athletics career in 2020 under the guidance of Coach Tek Chand. Within a year, she won the National Championship title in 2021 and has since emerged as one of India’s leading para throwers in the Shot Put and Discus Throw (F57) events.
Although her performance at the Commonwealth Games 2022 did not go as planned, she made a strong comeback through consent performances, winning multiple international medals and setting several National Records. Shequalified for the Commonwealth Games 2026 as India’s Rank No. 1 athlete in her event and is currently preparing with the goal of winning the gold medal for India.
Shilpa, meanwhile, was born in Bengaluru, Karnataka, she comes from a financially modest family. At the age of four, she lost the use of her leg following a road accident, an event that shaped her journey of resilience and determination.Story continues below this ad
Shilpa was introduced to para sports through the Secretary of Para Volleyball, which inspired her to take up para athletics. She currently trains in Bengaluru under the guidance of Coach Eshan S. D.
Through consent hard work and perseverance, she has established herself as one of India’s emerging F57 shot put athletes and continues to strive for success on the international stage.
