Historic first: Soman Rana, Shubham Juyal power India to gold-silver finish in Men's Shot Put F57

India created history in para athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Saturday as Soman Rana won gold and Shubham Juyal claimed silver in the men's F57 shot put final, giving the country its first-ever gold medal and maiden one-two finish in the event.

In an all-Indian battle for the top spot, Soman produced a best throw of 13.40m to finish ahead of Shubham, who secured silver with an effort of 13.28m, according to ESPN.

The result marked India's first gold medal in the men's F57 shot put at the Commonwealth Games and the nation's first-ever gold-silver finish in the discipline.

For Soman, the victory capped a journey defined by resilience. The 43-year-old Indian Army havildar was once among India's leading amateur boxers, finishing fifth at the National Championships in 2005. His sporting career changed dramatically in December 2006 when he lost a leg in a landmine blast while serving with the Gorkha Rifles along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

During rehabilitation at Pune's Artificial Limb Centre, Soman turned to para athletics before joining the Army Paralympic Node in 2017. He went on to represent India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics while building an impressive medal haul that includes silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games and bronze at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.

The Commonwealth Games title now stands as another major milestone in his distinguished career.

Shubham's rise to the podium has been equally remarkable. The Roorkee athlete had hoped to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming an Army officer and cleared the written examination for the Army Cadet College entry scheme in 2022. That ambition was cut short after a motorcycle accident the same year led to the amputation of his leg.

While recovering at Pune's Artificial Limb Centre, Shubham opted for para sports instead of vocational rehabilitation and joined the Army Paralympic Node under coach Rakesh Singh Rawat. Training alongside some of India's top para athletes helped him emerge as one of the country's leading competitors in the F57 category.

Before arriving in Glasgow, Shubham had finished seventh at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships and also won medals at the Indian Open Para Athletics Grand Prix, National Para Athletics Championships and Khelo India Para Games.

Both Soman and Shubham have received support under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which provides financial assistance for international competitions, national coaching camps, training, equipment and other requirements.

Their historic gold-silver finish added another memorable chapter to India's medal-winning campaign at the Commonwealth Games and highlighted the country's growing strength in para athletics.

With ANI inputs