|
Indian athlete Soman Rana expressed immense joy after winning the gold medal in the men's F57 shot put, saying it was an honour to represent India on a major international stage.
Hailing from Gaya, Bihar, and serving in the Indian Army's 28 Gorkha Rifles, he credited the support of his family, the Army, his coach Rakesh Prasad, and SAI Bengaluru for helping him achieve the milestone. India celebrated a historic day in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Saturday as Soman Rana clinched gold and Shubham Juyal claimed silver in the men's F57 shot put final, securing the country's first-ever gold medal and maiden double podium finish in the event. In an all-Indian battle for the top spot, Soman produced the best throw of 13.40m to edge Shubham, who finished close behind with an effort of 13.28m. "It feels wonderful. I am overjoyed to represent India on such a grand stage and win a gold medal... I hail from Gaya, Bihar. I serve in the Indian Army, specifically with the 28 Gorkha Rifles... With support from everywhere, I was able to reach this stage and successfully win the gold medal... I want to dedicate it to everyone who supported me, my family, the Army, my coach Rakesh Prasad, and SAI Bangalore, where I trained before coming here," Rana told ANI. Juyal described his Commonwealth Games silver medal as a major achievement, saying he never imagined competing at such a prestigious stage four years ago. He said he did not feel significant pressure during the event, with changing weather conditions being the only challenge he faced. "I never even imagined that exactly four years ago that I would be competing in the Commonwealth Games. Winning a silver medal there a huge achievement for me... there wasn't really any pressure as such. The only pressure was regarding the weather; it had been fluctuating a lot here. It had been very sunny for two days, but the weather turned quite cold for our event today," Juyal said. (ANI)
|
