Glasgow, Scotland: India celebrated a historic day in para athletics at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday as Soman Rana won gold and Shubham Juyal claimed silver in the men's F57 shot put final, securing the country's first-ever gold medal and maiden one-two finish in the event.
In an all-Indian contest for the top spot, Soman produced a best throw of 13.40 metres to edge Shubham, who finished second with a throw of 13.28 metres, according to ESPN.
The result marked India's first gold medal in the men's F57 shot put at the Commonwealth Games and the country's first-ever one-two finish in the discipline.
For Soman, the victory capped a remarkable journey of resilience and perseverance. An Indian Army havildar, he was once among India's leading amateur boxers, finishing fifth at the National Championships in 2005.
However, his sporting career took an unexpected turn in December 2006, when he lost a leg in a landmine blast while serving with the Gorkha Rifles along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
During rehabilitation at Pune's Artificial Limb Centre, Soman discovered para athletics before joining the Army Paralympic Node in 2017.
Since then, he has represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and has built an impressive record, including a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games and a bronze medal at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
The Commonwealth Games gold is the latest milestone in the 43-year-old's career.
Shubham's journey to the podium has also been marked by determination. The Roorkee, Uttarakhand, native had aspired to become an Indian Army officer like his father and cleared the written examination for the Army Cadet College entry scheme in 2022.
However, a motorcycle accident later that year resulted in the amputation of his leg, forcing him to abandon that ambition.
While recovering at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune, Shubham chose para sport over vocational rehabilitation and joined the Army Paralympic Node under coach Rakesh Singh Rawat.
Training alongside some of India's top para athletes helped him emerge as one of the country's leading competitors in the F57 category.
Before the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Shubham had finished seventh at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships and won medals at the Indian Open Para Athletics Grand Prix, the National Para Athletics Championships and the Khelo India Para Games.
Both athletes have received support under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), including financial assistance for international competitions, national coaching camps, training, equipment and other requirements.
Their gold and silver medals further highlighted India's growing strength in para athletics and added another milestone to the country's campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
