Puri hails Soman Rana's gold, Shubham Juyal's silver in Shot Put F57
Synopsis
Para-athletes Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal gave India a gold-silver sweep in Men's Shot Put F57 at the Commonwealth Games. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri hailed the double podium as 'an exceptional display of determination and resilience.'
Key Takeaways
Soman Rana won gold in the Men's Shot Put F57 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games .
Shubham Juyal claimed silver in the same event, giving India a double podium.
The F57 category is a seated para-athletics discipline for athletes with impaired leg function.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted congratulations on X on 1 August 2026 .
The result reflects India's growing strength in para-athletics at multi-sport Commonwealth events.
A double podium for India at the Commonwealth Games — and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was among the first to mark the moment. Para-athletes Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal delivered a stunning one-two finish in the Men's Shot Put F57, with Rana claiming gold and Juyal sealing silver on Saturday, 1 August 2026.
Rana and Juyal's back-to-back triumph in the F57
The F57 classification is a seated para-athletics category for field athletes with impaired leg function who compete from a throwing chair — a discipline demanding explosive upper-body power and razor-sharp technique. Rana and Juyal swept the top two spots, giving India a rare double podium in a single para-athletics event at the Games.
Minister Puri, posting on X, called it 'an exceptional display of determination and resilience,' adding: 'Wishing you both many more milestones and continued success.' The congratulatory note, accompanied by a video, reflects a now-established pattern of senior government figures amplifying para-athlete achievements on social media — a visibility push that the broader para-sports community has long sought.
Para-athletics and India's Commonwealth push
The Commonwealth Games has increasingly integrated para-sport into its programme, giving athletes like Rana and Juyal a global stage alongside their able-bodied counterparts. India's participation across both divisions has grown steadily, and a gold-silver sweep in a technical throwing event signals the depth of the country's para-athletics pipeline.
With events still ongoing, the Indian contingent will be eyeing further medals — and results like Saturday's double podium raise the stakes for what the final tally might look like.
Two athletes, one event, two flags on the podium. India's para-athletics story just got a chapter worth remembering.
Point of View
And it aligns with the government's broader narrative of inclusive sporting excellence. The Commonwealth Games para-sport track has become a proving ground for India's ambitions ahead of larger global events, and back-to-back podium finishes in technical disciplines suggest the talent pipeline is deepening.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the F57 classification in para-athletics?
The F57 is a seated para-athletics classification for field athletes who have impaired leg function and compete from a throwing chair. It covers throwing events such as shot put, discus, and javelin.
What did Shubham Juyal win at the Commonwealth Games?
Shubham Juyal won a silver medal in the Men's Shot Put F57 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, finishing just behind his compatriot Soman Rana who took gold.
Why did Hardeep Singh Puri post about the Commonwealth Games?
As a senior Union Minister and BJP leader, Hardeep Singh Puri posted to congratulate Soman Rana and Shubham Juyal on their gold and silver medals, calling it 'an exceptional display of determination and resilience.'
Does India compete in para-sports at the Commonwealth Games?
Yes, India fields para-athletes across multiple disciplines at the Commonwealth Games, which integrates para-sport events alongside the able-bodied programme, giving Indian para-athletes a major international stage.
