India, July 6 -- Subedar Hokato Hotozhe Sema, 42, has climbed to World No.1 in the Men's Shot Put F57 category in the latest World Para Athletics rankings, weeks after becoming the first Paralympian in India's history to be awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) by President Droupadi Murmu.

"I did not think about rankings when I started," Sema said. "I only wanted to throw one metre farther than the last time. Everything after that has been a surprise, even to me."

Sema lost his left leg below the knee in a landmine blast during a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002. He was 19, a havildar with the Assam Regiment, and had hoped to join the Special Forces.

"That dream ended in one aft...