Glasgow 2026: Sharmila Dhankar wins India’s first para-athletics gold, boxers advance to quarterfinals

By Arjun Nair / 28.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 28 July 2026 — 4 min read

Historic Gold for India in Para-Athletics

Sharmila Dhankar has secured India’s first para-athletics gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The 40-year-old athlete achieved this milestone in the women’s Shot Put F57 event, recording a season-best throw of 9.81 metres at Scotstoun Stadium. This victory ends a 20-year wait for India in this category at the Commonwealth Games.

Sharmila Dhankar was joined on the podium by teammate Shilpa K Shyla, who earned a bronze medal in the same event. This marked a rare double-podium finish for India in para-athletics. The F57 category is designated for athletes with lower limb impairments or reduced muscle power.

Born in Haryana’s Chitrauli village in 1986, Sharmila Dhankar contracted polio at the age of two, which affected her left leg. Her journey to this gold medal has been marked by personal challenges. She was married at 19 and faced abuse. After returning to her parents, she later remarried Ajit Singh in 2018, who encouraged her to pursue para sports.

Ajit Singh introduced her to kabaddi and then to Paralympian-coach Tek Chand, a bronze medallist in seated shot put at the 2018 Asian Para Games. Under Tek Chand’s guidance, Sharmila Dhankar honed her skills, learning to throw while standing with pole support. She won gold in her debut at the 2021 Para National Championships and finished fourth at both the 2022 Birmingham Para Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

Despite financial difficulties, including her husband selling their house and her mother selling farmland to support her, Sharmila Dhankar persevered. Her father also passed away during this period. Following her gold medal win, she has received praise from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union sports minister Mansukh Manadaviya also shared a video celebrating her achievement. Sharmila Dhankar aims to buy a new house with her winnings and plans to compete in the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan next month.

Weightlifting and Boxing Updates

In weightlifting, India’s Nirupama Devi Seram competed in the Women’s 63kg final. She finished the snatch round in fifth place with a best lift of 93kg. However, she was unable to register a successful clean and jerk lift, failing all three attempts at 123kg. This resulted in a DNF (Did Not Finish), taking her out of medal contention.

The focus for India has now shifted to the boxing ring, where five boxers are scheduled to compete in the quarterfinals. A victory in these matches would guarantee each boxer at least a bronze medal. The boxing action is set to begin at 10:30 PM IST with Preeti Pawar facing Nicole Clyde of Northern Ireland in the Women’s 54kg quarterfinal.

Following this, Priya Ghanghas will compete against Niamh Mitchell of Scotland in the Women’s 60kg quarterfinal at 11:00 PM IST. Other Indian boxers participating in the quarterfinals include Parveen Hooda, Jadumani Singh, and Kapil Pokhariya. Harjinder Kaur is also scheduled to compete in the Women’s 69kg weightlifting final at 11:00 PM IST.

Swimming Performances

In athletics, Vishal TK advanced to the semifinals after finishing second in Heat 6 of his event with a time of 46.49 seconds. However, Rajesh Ramesh, who placed third in Heat 3 with 47.43 seconds, did not qualify for the semifinals.

In swimming, India’s para swimmers RVVBK Budigina and Ali Imam both qualified for the Men’s 50m Freestyle S13 final. RVVBK Budigina finished third in Heat 1 with a time of 26.33 seconds, while Ali Imam clocked 28.41 seconds to finish fifth in Heat 2. Additionally, Srihari Nataraj secured his place in the men’s 100m backstroke semifinals by finishing fifth in Heat 4 with a time of 55.58 seconds.

However, Sajan Prakash did not qualify for the semifinals in the men’s 50m butterfly event. Competing in Heat 9, he finished last in his race with a time of 24.94 seconds, placing him 28th overall among 70 swimmers. A time quicker than 24.25 seconds was required for qualification.

India has already accumulated six medals in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games, comprising one gold, four silver, and one bronze. The country will look to add to its medal tally across various disciplines throughout the day.

The Commonwealth Games continue with a packed schedule for Indian athletes across swimming heats, athletics, weightlifting finals, and boxing quarterfinals.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com