India's best-ever para haul at Glasgow 2026 honoured by PCI
Synopsis
India's para athletes returned from Glasgow 2026 with seven medals — their best-ever Commonwealth Games para haul — and were honoured at a PCI ceremony in New Delhi. Three golds, two silvers, and two bronzes mark a new high-water mark for Indian para sport, with the PCI now eyeing a push toward global powerhouse status ahead of LA 2028.
Key Takeaways
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) felicitated para athletes and coaches on 5 August in New Delhi for their performance at Glasgow 2026 .
India won 7 medals in para events — 3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze — its best-ever Commonwealth Games para haul.
Gold medallists: Sharmila Dhankar (Women's Shot Put F57), Soman Rana (Men's Shot Put F57), and Dilip Manadu Gavit (Men's 100m T47).
The ceremony was co-organised with the M3M Foundation , which also recognised coaches and support staff.
PCI president Devendra Jhajharia and chairperson Dr Payal Kanodia called the result a launchpad for making India a global para sports powerhouse.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on Wednesday, 5 August felicitated the country's para athletes and their coaches in New Delhi for delivering India's most successful campaign in the para disciplines of the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow 2026. The ceremony was jointly organised by the PCI and the M3M Foundation.
Historic Medal Haul at Glasgow 2026
India concluded the para events at Glasgow 2026 with seven medals — three gold, two silver, and two bronze — the nation's best-ever return in the competition's para disciplines. The performance surpassed all previous Commonwealth Games outings for Indian para sport.
The seven athletes honoured were: Sharmila Dhankar (gold, Women's Shot Put F57), Shilpa Shyla (bronze, Women's Shot Put F57), Jhandu Kumar (bronze, para powerlifting), Soman Rana (gold, Men's Shot Put F57), Shubham Juyal (silver, Men's Shot Put F57), Dilip Manadu Gavit (gold, Men's 100m T47), and Mohammed Basil (silver, Men's 100m T47). Coaches and support staff were also formally recognised at the event.
What PCI President Devendra Jhajharia Said
PCI president Devendra Jhajharia — himself a multiple Paralympic gold medallist — praised the contingent for writing a new chapter in Indian para sports history. 'Our athletes have once again shown the world what determination, resilience and hard work can achieve. This historic performance is not just a medal tally; it is a testament to years of commitment from our athletes, coaches and the entire support system,' he said.
Jhajharia also acknowledged the M3M Foundation's partnership, stating: 'I sincerely thank M3M Foundation for recognising our champions and standing firmly with the Paralympic movement. Such partnerships play a crucial role in helping our athletes dream bigger and achieve greater success.'
PCI Chairperson Calls for Athlete-Centric Ecosystem
PCI chairperson Dr Payal Kanodia framed the Glasgow results as a springboard rather than a summit. 'Every medal won in Glasgow is far more than a sporting achievement; it is a testament to extraordinary resilience, unwavering determination, and the indomitable spirit of the human will,' she said.
Kanodia outlined a broader vision: 'My goal is to build a more inclusive, athlete-centric sporting ecosystem that empowers every para athlete with world-class opportunities, infrastructure, and support to realise their fullest potential.' She added that the Glasgow success marks 'the beginning of a larger movement to establish our nation as a global powerhouse in para sports.'
Role of M3M Foundation
The M3M Foundation co-hosted the felicitation, reflecting a growing trend of corporate foundations backing India's para sports movement. The partnership underlines how private-sector involvement is increasingly integral to athlete welfare and recognition programmes beyond Olympic cycles.
What Comes Next
With the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics on the horizon, the PCI's stated ambition to build a 'global powerhouse' in para sport will be tested by sustained infrastructure investment and talent pipelines. The Glasgow performance sets a new internal benchmark that the federation will be expected to match — or exceed — on the world's biggest para stage.
Point of View
But the more significant signal is institutional: the PCI is no longer treating Commonwealth Games para events as a footnote. The involvement of the M3M Foundation points to a corporate-funding model that Indian para sport has historically lacked. The real test, however, is whether this momentum translates into consistent international podium finishes at the Paralympic Games — where competition is far stiffer and India's medal-per-athlete ratio has room to grow. Kanodia's 'athlete-centric ecosystem' language is the right framing; the question is whether it is backed by verifiable infrastructure commitments or remains aspirational.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did India achieve at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games para events?
India won seven medals — three gold, two silver, and two bronze — in the para disciplines at Glasgow 2026, its best-ever performance in Commonwealth Games para events.
Which athletes were felicitated by the PCI?
Seven athletes were honoured: Sharmila Dhankar and Soman Rana (gold, Shot Put F57), Dilip Manadu Gavit (gold, Men's 100m T47), Shubham Juyal and Mohammed Basil (silver), and Shilpa Shyla and Jhandu Kumar (bronze). Coaches and support staff were also recognised.
Who organised the felicitation ceremony?
The ceremony was jointly organised by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and the M3M Foundation in New Delhi on 5 August.
What did PCI president Devendra Jhajharia say about the performance?
Jhajharia called the result 'a testament to years of commitment' and thanked the M3M Foundation for supporting the Paralympic movement, saying such partnerships help athletes 'dream bigger and achieve greater success.'
What is PCI's vision after Glasgow 2026?
PCI chairperson Dr Payal Kanodia stated the goal is to build an 'athlete-centric sporting ecosystem' and establish India as a 'global powerhouse in para sports,' with Glasgow seen as a starting point rather than a final destination.
