In a thrilling contest between two Indian athletes for the top position, Soman achieved a personal best throw of 13.40m, just edging out Shubham, who finished with a commendable 13.28m, as reported by ESPN.
This result signifies India’s inaugural gold medal in the men’s F57 shot put at the Commonwealth Games, along with the nation’s first one-two finish in this discipline.
Soman, a havildar in the Indian Army, lost a leg due to a landmine explosion in December 2006 while serving with the Gorkha Rifles near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. He later began his journey in para athletics during rehabilitation at Pune’s Artificial Limb Centre, joined the Army Paralympic Node in 2017, and has represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Shubham’s journey to the podium was equally inspiring. The native of Roorkee had passed the written exam for the Army Cadet College entry scheme in 2022, but a motorcycle accident that year resulted in the amputation of his leg. He then became part of the Army Paralympic Node under coach Rakesh Singh Rawat and quickly emerged as one of India’s leading F57 athletes.
Both athletes have benefited from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and their gold-silver achievement underscored India’s growing prowess in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
