Sharmila Dhankar's road from abuse to CWG gold

The 40-year-old para athlete from Haryana won the women's shot put F57 title with a season-best throw of 9.81 metres, becoming India's first Commonwealth Games gold medallist in para athletics. Her victory also ended a 20-year wait for an Indian medal in the discipline.

But for Dhankar, the medal represented more than sporting success.

Speaking to The Indian Express minutes after her victory, the athlete said she hoped her journey would encourage women facing abuse to stand up for themselves.

She said, "Mere ko nangi kar ke meri betiyon ke sath sadak pe faink diya tha mere pehle husband ne. (My first husband stripped me naked and threw me and my daughters out of the house.) Neighbours wrapped me in a quilt and my parents took us away. As I hold this gold medal in Glasgow, my message to every woman in India is to fight back against abuse."

Dhankar, who belongs to Chithroli village in Haryana's Rewari district, contracted polio in her left leg when she was two years old after suffering a high fever. The condition affected her mobility, but she continued her education and managed her daily life before entering competitive sport much later.

Her first marriage, which took place when she was young, became a deeply difficult period. According to accounts of her life, she faced physical abuse linked to dowry demands and later encountered pressure after giving birth to two daughters.

She eventually left the marriage and returned to her parents with her children. Her family supported her as she rebuilt her life, but sport was not initially part of that plan.

Dhankar began training at the age of 34 - an age when many professional athletes are approaching the end of their careers. She had never played competitive sport and was uncertain whether her physical condition would allow her to pursue athletics.

"I'd never played any sport. And with my handicap, I couldn't even run. I was also 34 years old. I was going to start at an age where everyone else was ending their career. Despite all this, my husband was very insistent that we explore the idea."

Her decision to take up para athletics eventually led her to the women's shot put F57 category, a classification for athletes with lower-limb impairments. Her progress in the sport was built on years of training and the support of her family, including her husband and daughters.

After securing gold in Glasgow, Dhankar celebrated the achievement with her mother, husband and daughters - the people who had supported her through the most difficult phases of her life.

Her victory has now placed her among India's most remarkable para-athletes, with a story that extends beyond the distance of her winning throw: a woman who overcame disability, abuse and a late start in sport to reach the top of the Commonwealth podium.