"Was Beaten By My 1st Husband": Sharmila Dhankar Survived Abuse Over Dowry, Then For Having Daughters. Today She Is CWG Gold Medallist
Monday night belonged to Sharmila Dhankar. The 40-year-old etched her name in history as India's first para-athlete to clinch a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games
Monday night belonged to Sharmila Dhankar. The 40-year-old etched her name in history as India's first para-athlete to clinch a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She produced her season-best throw of 9.81m to end India's 20-year wait for a para-athletics gold medal at the CWG. Sharmila's triumph earned India its second gold medal of the Games and took the country's overall tally to eight medals -- two gold, four silver and two bronze.
"I am very happy. The feeling has not yet sunk in; maybe it will take another two or three days. My mother fought the world to help me fulfil my dreams. My next target is a gold medal at the Asian Games," Sharmila said.
Sharmila Dhankar has scripted one of the most inspiring stories of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Her triumph earned India its second gold medal of the Games and took the country's overall tally to eight medals -- two gold, four silver and two bronze.
The victory marked another milestone in an extraordinary life story. Born in Chitrauli village in Haryana, Sharmila contracted polio at the age of two, which affected one of her legs.
Married at the age of 18, she endured years of physical and emotional abuse in her first marriage. According to her account, she was repeatedly assaulted over dowry demands and for giving birth to two daughters.
At the age of 26, after a particularly violent episode in which she was beaten and forced out of her home, she returned to her parents with her daughters. She has spoken about struggling with suicidal thoughts during that difficult phase of her life.
"My mother was blind, my father was a farmer, and we had very little to survive on. Life was never easy," she told TOI. "One night, I was beaten from 11 pm to 3 am by my first husband and thrown out of the house. I never went back."
Her life took a dramatic turn after she married Ajit Singh at the age of 28. It was Singh who discovered para-athletics through a newspaper and encouraged her to take up the sport. The family's commitment to her dream was evident when they sold their house in 2023 to support her training and competitive aspirations.
Despite beginning her athletics journey only at the age of 34, Sharmila made rapid progress. She emerged as India's leading F57 seated shot put athlete and became national champion in 2021 before reaching the pinnacle with Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow.
Her victory also continued India's successful campaign in Scotland, with the country's medal tally rising to eight.
India's medallists so far are Mirabai Chanu (gold, weightlifting), Sharmila Dhankar (gold, women's shot put F57), Rishikanta Singh (silver, weightlifting), Muthupandi Raja (silver, weightlifting), Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver, weightlifting), Sarvesh Kushare (silver, high jump), Bindyarani Devi (bronze, weightlifting) and Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting).