India, July 28 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sharmila Dhankar after the Indian para athlete created history at the 2026 Commonwealth Games by becoming the country's first-ever gold medallist in para-athletics. Sharmila claimed the women's F57 shot put title with a season-best throw of 9.81m on Monday night, producing a landmark performance. Her victory also ended India's 20-year wait for a para-athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games.

The nation's previous medal in the discipline came at the 2006 edition, when Ranjith Kumar Jayaseelan won silver in the men's seated discus throw. Sharmila's historic triumph marked a major milestone for Indian para-athletics on the Commonwealth Games stage.

Prime Modi hailed Dhankar's hi...