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Sharmila Dhankar scripted one of the most inspiring stories of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by clinching the gold medal in the women's shot put F57 event, completing a remarkable journey from surviving domestic violence to standing atop the podium in Glasgow on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old Indian para-athlete produced a season-best throw of 9.81 metres, comfortably finishing ahead of Ghana's Zinabu Issah, who claimed silver with a best effort of 8.65m. Nigeria's Eucharia Iyiazi settled for bronze with a throw of 8.19m, while fellow Indian Shilpa finished fourth, according to ESPN. Sharmila's triumph earned India its second gold medal of the Games and took the country's overall tally to eight medals -- two gold, four silver and two bronze. The victory marked another milestone in an extraordinary life story. Born in Chitrauli village in Haryana, Sharmila contracted polio at the age of two, which affected one of her legs. Married at the age of 18, she endured years of physical and emotional abuse in her first marriage. According to her account, she was repeatedly assaulted over dowry demands and for giving birth to two daughters. At the age of 26, after a particularly violent episode in which she was beaten and forced out of her home, she returned to her parents with her daughters. She has spoken about struggling with suicidal thoughts during that difficult phase of her life. Her life took a dramatic turn after marrying Ajit Singh at the age of 28. It was Singh who discovered para-athletics through a newspaper and encouraged her to take up the sport. The family's commitment to her dream was evident when they sold their house in 2023 to support her training and competitive aspirations. Despite beginning her athletics journey only at the age of 34, Sharmila made rapid progress. She emerged as India's leading F57 seated shot put athlete and became national champion in 2021 before reaching the pinnacle with Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow. Her victory also continued India's successful campaign in Scotland, with the country's medal tally rising to eight. India's medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, high jump), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting). (ANI)
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