Para-athlete Sharmila Dhankhar of Chhitroli village in Mahendragarh district of Haryana has brought laurels to the state by winning a gold medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026.
The village erupted in joy with the youngsters bursting fire-crackers and elders distributing laddoos to the fellow villagers as Sharmila won the gold medal in the shot put event.
“It is the happiest moment of my life. I am so happy that I have forgotten all my sorrows. I had sold my family land to facilitate Sharmila, who has a great devotion for sports despite her disability,” said Sharmila’s visually impaired mother Santosh Devi.
Sharmila has lost her father and her brother Naveen operates an auto-rickshaw. Sharmila’s marriage turned out to be a nightmare as she was subjected to physical and mental torture for years.
She gave birth to two daughters, but eventually got separated from her husband. Later, she married Ajit Singh, who supported her participation in sports.
Chhitroli residents Samunder, Dalbir and Amit Suhag stated that Sharmila has made the entire village proud and they are eager to welcome her on her return.
“We hope and pray that she wins an Olympic gold,” they maintained.
Sold land, faced torture, won gold: Haryana’s Sharmila Dhankhar’s journey from struggle to Commonwealth glory
