How did domestic violence survivor Sharmila Dhankar win gold at Commonwealth Games 2026?
Sharmila Dhankar made para-athletics history at the CWG 2026
India’s Sharmila Dhankar has already etched her name in India’s sporting history. She clinched gold at the women’s F57 shot put event in the Commonwealth Games 2026.
The 40-year-old finished first with a season-best throw of 9.81m, becoming the first Indian para-athletics gold medallist in the CWG. India’s Shilpa Shyla claimed bronze in the same event, ensuring a double podium finish for India.
Related: Commonwealth Games 2026: Updated medal tally after Day 7, July 30
Dhankar’s victory was the first para-athletics medal won by India since Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan’s bronze in the men’s seated discus throw in 2006.
However, Dhankar is much more than a pioneer in Indian para-athletics. Her story is one of overcoming a childhood setback, an abusive marriage, and eventually becoming a gold medallist.
Related: Commonwealth Games 2026: India’s updated schedule for Day 8 (July 31)
Surviving domestic abuse
Born in Chhithroli village in Haryana to a farmer’s family, Dhankar had a tough childhood. Following her historic win at the Glasgow Games, Dhankar opened up about her troubled past.
She suffered an early setback, contracting polio in her left leg at the age of two. She was married at a young age and faced domestic abuse at the hands of her first husband. Speaking after her event in Glasgow, she spoke about the darkest chapter of her life.
“My first husband stripped me naked and threw me and my daughters out of the house. My neighbours wrapped me in a quilt, and my parents took us away,” she told the Times of India. “I was married at 19. He was a drug addict, and things only got worse after my second daughter was born.”
“As I hold this gold medal in Glasgow, my message to every woman and daughter in India is to fight back against abuse,” she added.
Related: Commonwealth Games 2026 (CWG) Day 8 Live Updates
Sharmila Dhankar’s second chance
Dhankar returned to her family home with her two daughters, Anuj and Laxmi. She got a second chance when she married Ajit Singh, a submersible pump technician from Rewari.
Dhankar’s life changed, as Ajit introduced her to para sports and took her to Paralympian-coach Tek Chand. Ajit left his job and took loans to finance his wife’s career, and their daughters’ future in athletics.
Dhankar made her debut in para athletics at the age of 33. Despite starting her career at an age when most athletes look at retirement, Dhankar made her mark immediately, becoming the national champion in the F57 category.
She then trained under Virender Dhankar and broke the national record in Dubai before winning gold at the Fazza International Para Athletics Championship. Her family also came together to support her, even selling half an acre of their farmland to sponsor her training a year before the CWG.
Now a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Dhankar expressed hope that her journey inspires others, including her two daughters, to pursue a career in sports.
“I started competing at 33,” she said. “I want to see both my daughters qualify for the (Commonwealth) Games too, Anuj in javelin, Laxmi in long jump, so the three of us can compete together one day.”
Where and when are Commonwealth Games 2026 taking place?
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
What did Sharmila Dhankar win at Commonwealth Games 2026?
She won gold in the women’s F57 shot put event with a season‑best throw of 9.81m, becoming India’s first‑ever para‑athletics gold medallist at the CWG.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.