
India's Sharmila Dhankar won the women's shot put F57 gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 9.81m. Ghana's Zinabu Issah took silver (8.65m), Nigeria's Eucharia Iyiazi bronze (8.19m), and fellow Indian Shilpa K Shyla finished fourth.
Dhankar, 40, called the gold "just a trailer" and said her next targets are the Asian Games and then an Olympic gold. She credited her mother and the government for support and said she was unaware she was India's first para-athletics gold medallist at the CWG. She also recalled being Haryana's first female conductor.
The hype around Dhankar's gold is deserved, but it must not end with applause. Media often turns such stories into one-day inspiration, letting the athlete fade until the next medal. The real test is whether she gets the training and sponsorship to convert this into Asian Games and Paralympic success. Watch what happens at the 2027 Asian Games, not what she says now. Will the government's support match its celebration? That will settle the question.
Source: thehindu.com
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Ashin Xavier: interesting
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