Mid-day Exclusive | Thrown out at midnight, jobless at 34: How Sharmila Dhankar won Commonwealth Games gold

On the night she was thrown out of her home Sharmila Dhankar had little more than determination to hold on to No one could have imagined that the same woman would one day stand atop the Commonwealth Games podium with a gold medal around her neck bringing glory to IndiaToday the Indian paraathlete is the Commonwealth Games champion in the womens shot put F57 category having struck gold at the 2026 Games Her journey from rejection and financial hardship to sporting greatness is the kind of underdog story that feels straight out of a film In many ways it echoes the spirit of Mary Kom a woman who turned adversity into her greatest strengthFor Sharmila sport was never just about winning medals it began as a means of survivalThrown out of her home at midnight by her alleged drugdependent exhusband the Chithhrauliborn athlete from Haryana was left with little certainty about what the future held Years later she rewrote her destiny with a seasonbest throw of 981m to clinch gold in the womens F57 shot put becoming the first Indian to top the podium at the 2026 Commonwealth GamesSpeaking exclusively to midday Dhankar opened about surviving domestic abuse enduring financial hardship raising two daughters as a single mother and how sport became not just her passion but her lifelineI was thrown out of the house at midnight by my drugdependent exhusbandMy neighbours found me lying outside and wrapped me in a quilt until my parents arrived to take me home My exhusband was addicted to drugs and I endured years of abuse during that marriage I went through all of this in my early 20sIf a relationship doesnt work walk awayHaving survived domestic abuse herself Sharmila Dhankar had a heartfelt message for women facing similar circumstancesEvery woman in this country should believe in herself Give your relationship one or two chances But if things are still not working quietly walk away and find your own spark Never stop believing in yourself she saidReflecting on her own experience Dhankar added I tried everything possible to make the relationship work but it didnt There comes a point where you realise that no matter how much you try things are not going to changeHolding up her Commonwealth Games gold medal as a symbol of resilience she said My message to all Indian women and daughters is to stand up against violence Never lose faith in yourself There is always a way to rebuild your lifeSport was never a dream it was survivalMost elite athletes begin training in childhood chasing dreams of representing their country and winning medals Sharmila Dhankars journey was different She took up sport at the age of 34mdashan age when many athletes begin contemplating retirementFor Dhankar sport was never driven by ambition or the pursuit of medals It was born out of necessityBefore becoming an international para shot putter she worked as a bus conductor with Haryana Roadways But when she unexpectedly lost her job she found herself unemployed with two daughters to raise and no clear path ahead Thats when she decided to take up sportmdashnot to become a champion but to secure a government job and rebuild her lifeI used to work as a bus conductor with Haryana Roadways One day I suddenly lost my job Thats when I realised that sport could be the one thing that would help me secure a government job and rebuild my life I had two daughters to take care of and I needed a stable future for them That is why I took up sport she saidSharmila found a partner who saw strength beyond adversitySharmila Dhankars life took a dramatic turn after she left her first marriage In 2018 her parents arranged her remarriage to Ajit Singh a technician from RewariIt was Ajit who introduced her to renowned coach Tek ChandAjit took me to Tek Chand sir in Rewari After watching me train he realised that I had something special and believed I could win medals for the country at the highest level she saidSince then she has never looked backSharmila won gold in her maiden appearance at the Para National Championships setting a new national record with a throw of 740m in the F57 category120kg bench press and relentless trainingThe road to becoming a Commonwealth Games champion was anything but easy Training as a para athlete demanded extraordinary discipline and Sharmila embraced every challengeMy training sessions were extremely intense I spent long hours on the field and in the gym I always believed in my strength she saidThat belief translated into remarkable numbers I could comfortably bench press 120kg she addedIndias sporting ecosystem has transformedThe Commonwealth Games champion also praised the progress India has made in developing sports infrastructureThe sports infrastructure in India has improved immensely over the last few years I want to give full credit to the Sports Authority of India SAI the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Haryana Government for the support I have received she saidWhile acknowledging there is still room for improvement she believes India is rapidly catching up with the worlds bestThere are still a few areas where we need better infrastructure but the pace at which things are improving is incredible I believe the day is not far when foreign athletes will come to India to train she saidA mothers biggest dreamBehind every medal Sharmila says are years of sacrifice made while raising her two daughtersI have raised my daughters through very difficult times One is 16 years old and the younger one is 13 There were many hardships but I never gave upWith India set to host the next Commonwealth Games Sharmila now dreams of seeing her daughters on the podium alongside the countrys best athletesMy daughters Anuj and Laxmi have already started training with me As a professional athlete I want both to get a medal for the country Hopefully during the next Commonwealth Games in India both will win medals for the country she said with a smileFrom being forced out of her home in the middle of the night to standing on the top step of the Commonwealth Games podium Sharmila Dhankars journey is a story of resilience determination and unwavering selfbelief Her historic gold medal is not merely a sporting achievement it is a victory over adversity and an inspiration for countless women across the country