Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sharmila Dhankar has announced her goal to win gold and set a world record at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. Overcoming childhood polio and domestic violence to triumph in Glasgow, the 40-year-old shot-putter is now preparing for the upcoming Para Asian Games.
NEW DELHI — Fresh from clinching a historic gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Indian para-athlete Sharmila Dhankar declared on Tuesday that her ultimate sporting ambition is to capture a gold medal and establish a new world record at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organized by State Bank of India (SBI) Life Insurance in New Delhi, the 40-year-old shot put specialist outlined her multi-year international roadmap. The declaration comes as India's para-sports ecosystem expands institutional corporate sponsorships and intensifies high-performance coaching pipelines ahead of the upcoming Para Asian Games and the four-year Olympic-Paralympic quadrennium.
From Surviving Domestic Trauma to Commonwealth Glory
Sharmila Dhankar scripted one of the most compelling narratives of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by winning the women's shot put F57 title with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres. The victory ended India's two-decade medal wait in Commonwealth para-athletics and established Dhankar as the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in para-track and field.
Her sporting breakthrough follows decades of intense personal adversity. Contracted with polio at the age of two—which resulted in permanent impairment in her left leg—Dhankar later endured years of severe domestic abuse during an early marriage before being forced out of her home with two young daughters.
Her life pivoted when she remarried and, at age 34, took up competitive para-athletics under the guidance of Asian Para Games medallist Tek Chand. Within two years, Dhankar won domestic national titles and represented India at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where she finished fourth. Her dominant showing in Glasgow—finishing more than a metre ahead of Ghana's silver medallist Zinabu Issah (8.65m) and Nigeria's bronze winner Eucharia Iyiazi (8.19m)—marked the culmination of that grueling rehabilitation and training period.
The Road to Los Angeles 2028 and the Asian Stage
Turning 40 in August, Dhankar emphasized that her competitive career is only expanding. While the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics remains her primary target, her immediate training focus is centered on the Para Asian Games scheduled for October, where she intends to consolidate her international dominance in the F57 category.
In the F57 classification, designed for field athletes competing from a seated throwing frame due to limb deficiencies or impaired muscle power, athletes execute six consecutive attempts. Dhankar's recent performances have demonstrated rising consistency, marked by earlier victories at the Fazza International Para Athletics Championship in Dubai and a 10.03-metre throw at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
Sports science advisors attached to India’s Paralympic contingent note that sustaining strength conditioning, biomechanical angle adjustments, and throwing-chair stability will be essential to push past current Paralympic world records over the next two competitive cycles.
Impact Across Indian Para-Sports and Society
Dhankar's emergence as an elite international champion generates far-reaching effects across sports, social empowerment, and corporate backing:
Para-Athletes and Inclusion: Demonstrates that starting elite athletic training in one's mid-30s can yield world-class podium finishes, breaking age and physical barriers across Indian sport.
Survivors of Abuse: Provides a prominent public role model for women fighting domestic violence, highlighting resilience through economic self-reliance and sport.
Corporate and Public Funding: Encourages public sector undertakings and corporate entities like SBI Life to direct sustained sponsorship capital toward Olympic and Paralympic development frameworks.
Grassroots Facilities: Drives calls for municipal and district sporting complexes in states like Haryana to install specialized wheelchair and seated-throw throwing rings.
Official Sources
According to official briefings released during the felicitation organized by SBI Life Insurance and contest registries maintained by the Commonwealth Sport / Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Sharmila Dhankar confirmed her multi-year international championship schedule.
The athlete's training programmes, sports medicine interventions, and national representation allowances fall under the administrative parameters of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Athlete Commentary
According to officials and attendees at the New Delhi event, Dhankar underscored the transformative power of organized athletic support.
Speaking to news agency ANI during the reception, Dhankar stated:
"It feels very good. SBI is giving so much respect to all these medalists and Paralympians. I would like to thank them for this. My life has changed a lot; earlier, my life was very different. I am preparing really hard for the Para Asian Games and I do not want to return empty-handed from any major tournament. My target is the Paralympics. I will bring home gold with the world record."
Team coaches reaffirmed that her technical numbers during national camps point toward further trajectory gains in upcoming world tour fixtures.
Why It Matters
Dhankar's pursuit of a Paralympic gold and world record carries clear practical implications:
Medal Pipeline Expansion: Expands India’s podium conversion rate in heavy field events, complementing existing international depth in javelin and club throws.
Economic Support: Major tournament medals unlock structured cash awards, employment avenues, and government sports pensions, replacing personal debt incurred to fund early athletic training.
National Sports Vision: Supports the Union government’s target to expand India's Paralympic medal haul into double-digit gold ranks at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Key Facts at a Glance
Athlete: Sharmila Dhankar (Haryana, India).
Discipline: Para-athletics (Women's Shot Put, F57 classification).
Recent Milestone: Gold medal at Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games (9.81m season best).
Long-Term Objective: Gold medal and world record at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Next Major Assignment: Para Asian Games (October 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Sharmila Dhankar achieve at the 2026 Commonwealth Games?
Dhankar won the gold medal in the women's shot put F57 event in Glasgow with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres, ending a 20-year drought for India in Commonwealth para-athletics.
What is Sharmila Dhankar's primary goal for the 2028 Paralympics?
She has stated that her goal for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games is to win the gold medal while establishing a new world record in the F57 shot put category.
When did she take up competitive para-athletics?
Despite surviving childhood polio and domestic abuse, Dhankar took up competitive para-athletics at age 34 in 2020 under the mentorship of coach Tek Chand.
What is her next international competition?
Her immediate competitive target is the upcoming Para Asian Games in October, followed by world para-athletics championship qualifying meets.
Source: Official statements issued via Asian News International (ANI), event documentation from SBI Life Insurance, athlete records with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), and performance archives from the Commonwealth Sport Federation.
