Glasgow 2026: Sharmila Dhankar secures India’s first para-athletics gold; weightlifting and boxing updates

By Sanjay Menon — 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. Competing in the women’s Shot Put F57 event, the 40-year-old athlete achieved a season-best throw of 9.81 metres at Scotstoun Stadium. This achievement marks a significant moment for India in para-athletics.

Dhankar was joined on the podium by teammate Shilpa K Shyla, who earned the bronze medal in the same event, resulting in a rare double-podium finish for India. Dhankar’s journey to gold follows her participation in the 2022 Birmingham Para Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where she finished fourth in both tournaments.

Born in Haryana’s Chitrauli village, Dhankar contracted polio at the age of two, which affected her left leg. Her path to becoming a gold medalist involved overcoming personal challenges. She began competing at 33 and hopes her daughters, Anuj and Laxmi, will also compete in future Games, with Anuj in javelin and Laxmi in long jump.

Following her gold medal win, Dhankar expressed a desire to buy a new house and has set her sights on the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Her victory has garnered praise from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya sharing a video celebrating her and Shilpa’s achievement.

Weightlifting and Boxing Action

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. Despite her efforts, Seram was unable to register a successful clean and jerk lift, failing all three attempts at 123kg. This meant she concluded the competition without a total mark and was out of medal contention.

Seram had initially opted for a 93kg opening attempt in the snatch. She successfully lifted 93kg in her second attempt after failing her first. Canada’s Maude Charron led the field after the snatch round in the Women’s 63kg final, lifting a Commonwealth Games record of 102kg.

Later in the evening, Harjinder Kaur is scheduled to compete in the Women’s 69kg final at 11:00 PM IST, aiming to add to India’s medal tally. So far, India has secured six medals in weightlifting at the Glasgow Games, comprising one gold, four silver, and one bronze.

The focus also shifts to the boxing ring, where five Indian boxers are scheduled to compete in the quarterfinals. A victory in these bouts would guarantee each boxer at least a bronze medal. The boxing action begins at 10:30 PM IST with Preeti Pawar facing Nicole Clyde of Northern Ireland in the Women’s 54kg quarterfinal.

This will be followed by Priya Ghanghas, who will compete against Niamh Mitchell of Scotland in the Women’s 60kg quarterfinal at 11:00 PM IST. Other boxers in quarterfinal action include Parveen Hooda, Jadumani Singh, and Kapil Pokhariya.

Swimming Updates

In swimming, India’s Vishal TK advanced to the semifinals after finishing second in Heat 6 of the 400m with a time of 46.49 seconds. However, Rajesh Ramesh, who placed third in Heat 3 with 47.43 seconds, did not secure a semifinal berth.

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

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

The Indian contingent aims to build on its performance from Monday, which saw a six-medal haul. The day’s events include swimming heats, athletics, weightlifting finals, and boxing quarterfinals, with athletes like Pooja Singh and Gulveer Singh also participating in medal events on the track and field.

The women’s 50m butterfly heats are scheduled to begin at 3:46 PM.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com