Sharmila Dhankar

Sharmila Dhankar was born on 15 August 1986 in Chitrauli in Mahendragarh district of Haryana.^[1][2][3] She contracted polio at two years old, which affected one of her legs.^[4][5]

Dhankar was married at the age of 19, and suffered domestic abuse during her first marriage.^[4][6] She later returned to her parent's home with her two daughters. She later remarried, and took up para-athletics after encouragement from her husband Ajit Singh. She trained in shot put and discus throw under coach Tek Chand at Rewari.^[5][6][7]

Dhankar competes in the F57 disability classification. She represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She registered a personal best and national record throw of 8.43 m (27.7 ft) in her third attempt and finished fourth in the women's shot put F57 event.^[5][8] In the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi, she finished fifth in the women's shot put F57 with a best throw of 10.03 m (32.9 ft).^[9] At the 2026 Fazza International Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, she won gold in women's shot put F57 and bronze in women's discus throw F57.^[5]

Dhankar was part of the Indian contingent at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In the women's shot put F57 event, she won the gold medal with a season-best throw of 9.81 m (32.2 ft).^[10] She became India's first-ever gold medalist in para-athletics at the Commonwealth Games.^[11][12]