Para athlete Sharmila Dhankhar, resident of Mahendragarh, Haryana, created history in the Commonwealth Games 2026 which will be remembered for a long time. In the women’s F57 shot put event, she made a season best throw of 9.81 meters and won the gold medal. After this historic victory, Sharmila also remembered her struggle days. She told that there was a time when she had to face assault and domestic violence from her first husband.
Let us tell you that Sharmila Dhankhar has now become the first Indian player to win a gold medal for India in Para Athletics in the history of Commonwealth Games. With his brilliant victory, India’s 20-year wait in this event also ended.
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Sharmila Dhankhar’s story of struggle
Sharmila Dhankar was diagnosed with polio when she was just two years old. Because of this his right leg got affected. The financial condition of the house was also not good. His mother was visually impaired (who could not see properly) and his father somehow supported the family by farming. His childhood was spent in financial crunch and difficult circumstances but he never lost courage. He also got the opportunity to enter sports quite late and he started para athletics at the age of 34.
Sharmila Dhankhar, who had once suffered the pain of poverty, polio and domestic violence, turned every difficulty of life into her strength. While talking to Times of India, she told that there came a time when her first husband beat her brutally from 11 pm to 3 am. After this he was also thrown out of the house. After that incident, Sharmila decided not to return to that house again.
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Second marriage became the turning point of life
Her first marriage at the age of 19 brought her pain and torture. After enduring years of domestic violence, she returned to her parents’ home with her two daughters. Later her second marriage was to Ajit Singh, who introduced her to Para sports and inspired her to pursue it. He trained under the supervision of coaches Tek Chand and Devendra and made his mark by winning the gold medal with a national record in the Para National Championship in 2021.
Sharmila had to sell her house
Despite finishing fourth in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and Asian Para Games 2023, financial constraints did not leave him. To meet the expenses of the game, the family had to sell their house in Rewari in 2023 and live in a rented house. Now after winning gold in the Commonwealth Games, Sharmila dreams of buying her own house again. Both his daughters are also making their future in sports. Sharmila wants her daughters to never see the struggle through which she has achieved this position.
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